Persona 3 FES: The Protegee
by Skarrow
Summary: You've finished The Journey and The Answer, but what happens if you've been given the chance to change Fate? One girl is forced to literally relive the game - and end the story the way it could have. MinatoxYukari, AkihikoxYukari, and YukarixOC
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3. The additions and revisions of the original storyline that resemble people, places, etc. are entirely coincidental.

A/N: This is my first fan fiction on this site EVER, so I'm still a rookie.

And… this story WILL contain spoilers.

Dedicated to Hana Goldflower. I'll be waiting for updates of your "Arisato Mina"!

**PROLOGUE**

Let's get this matter settled once and for all. AHEM!

…..I LOVE PERSONA! But my fave Persona game in the series would have to be Persona 3(the FES version, too). I'm sure I'm not the only one who's incredibly in love with it.

C'mon, admit it-you love it, too.

And I'm sure I'm not the only one who dreams about being sucked into the game, having new quests, and "unlocking" a completely different ending. Yup, you got it!

…Someone's gonna get sucked into the world of Shadows, Persona-users, and the Dark Hour(names not mentioned to protect the innocent). And this story is only an example of what _could_ happen. But enough talk…

**THE REAL PROLOGUE**

I'm not a big fan of fortunes. Sure, they're nice to read, but I'm not. My brother is, though. And that's why, walking home from school one afternoon, he dragged me to this "Fortune-Telling Machine" at the arcade, when we already had plans to go home andfinally finish The Answer of Persona FES. But, somebody at school _just happened_ to blurt out the latest rumor about a new _fortune-telling machine_…that just so happened to be _haunted_.

And my brother, who was the biggest fortune maniac the world has ever known (not to mention a big horror fanatic), just _had_ to check it out. Joy.

So, here we are.

"Oh, c'mon, just ONE LITTLE fortune. PLEASE??" He begged. I rolled my eyes to the moon. "Can't you forget about fortunes for one day?" "It's only a quarter for two fortunes!" He complained.

That was another reason why I didn't want to. Whenever it requires money, he always asks ME to pay for him, the jerk.

"NO!" I said firmly. "I don't want to!!"

Two minutes later, my brother and I were bending down to grab our respective fortune slips. How did he do it? Maybe it's best if you never knew…

"OOH!" He giggled, really girly-like. "Mine says, '_Always remember life's simple pleasures. Remember, when someone annoys you it takes 42 muscles to frown but only 4 to extend your arm and slap the idiot.' _Cool!"

I looked down at my fortune slip. "Mine says, '_Time never waits. It delivers us all to the same end. You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be…you will be given 1 year. Go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide…_'"

…Hmm, for some reason, this particular fortune gives me the deja vu feeling…

"Whoa," my brother said. "Your fortune sounds way cooler than mine." He sounded a little disappointed. Serves him right!

"Alright- last one home doesn't get to see the FES ending!" I yelled, already running. "That's not fair!" My brother shouted back and sprinted after me.

_Later, at our house…_

"Wow," my brother and I said at the same time, staring at our T.V. screen, the ending credits already rolling. Not to spoil, so I'm just gonna say… the ending of The Answer was awesome! We spent a whole hour talking about it and everything related to the game. I know it's a little strange to do, but it's our way of 'feeling Persona'.

A little before 12:00, my brother suddenly asked, "Wouldn't it be cool if everyone lived?" I thought about it for a moment. "If everyone lived," I said slowly, "then there wouldn't be an 'Episode Aigis'." "You're right," he said agreeably. "But I still think it would've been better. The Journey has such a sad ending…"

_Wouldn't it be cool if everyone lived? It's such a sad ending…_

I couldn't help thinking about it even when I was already in my room, in my bed, on my way to the land of dreams. Yeah, what if everyone…?

I closed my eyes. I didn't know how long I had them closed when suddenly, a voice whispered in my head,

"_Time never waits. It delivers us all to the same end. You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be…_

_You will be given one year._

_Go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide…_

_Open the door. An Eternal Arcana awaits…"_

Suddenly, it felt like I was moving, falling…


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

Many thanks to vastler75 and Mr. Thumbsup.

**ONE: NEW GAME+**

"What the…!" I gasped. I stared in wonder at my new surroundings. Was I dreaming? Was I going mad?

It looked- and felt- like I was on a subway train. ALONE.

And on the seat beside mine, I spotted my fave overstuffed shoulder-bag. After a brief expection, I found my iPod, my cellphone(all the contacts, pictures and videos I saved in it mysteriously erased), and my wallet(the only thing inside was 500 yen and a folded piece of paper) inside, as well as my favorite jacket and cargo pants, packed up to go with me.

But, the question was: to where?

I looked down at myself; I had on a pink uniform that was awfully familiar!

I stared hard at one of the windows, trying to make out my reflection in the tinted glass.

GASP…I think you already know who I look like. For those who don't know…

I look exactly like YUKARI. Yukari Takeba! NO WAY!!

One minute of piercing screams later, I felt queasy, partly cause I was scared, and partly cause I get dizzy if I stand while riding a moving vehicle, so I sank back down to my seat.

I didn't know why or how I got here, I just wanted out. NOW!!

Suddenly feeling exhausted, I slumped in my seat and closed my eyes. That's when I realized there was some music playing from a speaker somewhere overhead. Without me realizing it, I began to tap my feet along in time with the song's catchy beat.

"Dreamless dorm, ticking clock. I walk away from the soundless room. Windless night, moonlight melts. My ghostly shadow, to the lukewarm gloom…"

…? Ain't those lyrics familiar. What was it called?

"Nightly dance of bleeding swords reminds me that I still live. I will Burn My Dread…"

I wonder…this song gets me thinking…

I pull my wallet from my bag and open the piece of paper I saw a few minutes ago.

It was a map. There was a small itinerary scribbled in the top left corner (it said that I was supposed to take the 4:00 train, and that I'll arrive 5:45. Maybe I missed it, because judging from my view of the scenery from the window, it definitely doesn't look like its afternoon). And in the bottom right corner was the Gekkoukan High symbol. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this was the map the Main Character used to get to THAT dorm, ne?

Suddenly, the fear and confusion I felt just a few sentences ago was replaced with wonder, interest, amazement, and a heckload of disbelief. Was this the very beginning of Persona 3? As if to verify, the Burn My Dread song playing earlier was abruptly interrupted by an announcement. "As of today, the numbers of Apathy Syndrome cases reported weekly have increased. Medical experts say that it is caused by stress, however the Police think otherwise and are currently investigating for anything suspicious…"

I guess I can't deny it. So… if I'm the new Main Character that means this train is going to the "place I lived in ten years ago." Since I look like her, I guess I'd better start calling myself Yukari Takeba… does that mean I'm going to experience Dark Hour?

A few minutes later, the train rumbles to a quiet stop. A sliding door I was too wrecked and excited to notice opens. I grab my bag and exit the train into the station. I glanced at the giant clock positioned just above the stairs leading to the surface, which says"11:55".

This was the real beginning of my adventure.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: I'm not gonna beg for reviews, but it would be nice if you did, that way I could make this story better for everyone. Oh yeah, I uploaded this the same day as Chapter 1.

**TWO: ENTER NAME**

"At the next stoplight, turn left to the crosswalk."

Holding the paper in my left and lugging on to my bag with my right, I weaved through the crowds and street stalls in the biggest hurry of my life. I wasn't gonna wait around for the Dark Hour. Heck, I wasn't even sure if I could experience it.

"Keep going straight until you reach two street posts lined up side by side."

My feet brought practically brought me over the rainbow.

"Now turn left."

Though the very thought of living the Dark Hour gave me the shivers, a different part of me was thrilled at the idea. If I'm the new main character, I should be able to experience it, right? If it really did happen, would I lose my mind? Would my mind be devoured? Wait… who was giving me the directions to the dorm? I stopped walking and looked up from the map.

Was it just me or was it really, really dark all of a sudden?

I looked up at the sky. It was such a creepy sight. The almost-full moon was even creepier, lighting up the sky with its neon green light. I scanned my surroundings. All of a sudden it was eerily quiet… and there were coffins. Coffins, coffins, EVERYWHERE.

I checked my cellphone for the time. It wouldn't turn on. Either dead battery, or…

The Dark Hour.

Oh God! What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?? Am I gonna die? Is this story over ALREADY?! But I've been such a good kid!! What did I ever do to--!!

"Don't panic!" The voice that I realized wasn't mine ordered. "You can still make it. Run as fast as you can down this street and turn right at the fork you come to!"

I didn't know what else to do. So… I ran like the voice told me to.

"Now a left up there!"

Who was telling me this? Where was it coming from?

"Take the second path from the right!"

I couldn't breathe. The streets were a blur, and the only sounds I could hear were my echoing footsteps pounding against cement, my heart beating into overdrive, and the voice that guided me through the twisted maze of turns. The voice was deep, mellow…

"And now make one more left and keep running straight. You should see double doors."

I felt like I was flying high above the paved streets. My heart leaped to my throat as I made the turn, but I was going too fast and I lost my balance. I fell face first into the ground and skidded across the dirt a few feet.

As I struggled to get up, a freezing cold hand grabbed mine and tugged, effectively bringing me up on one knee. "Thanks," I panted and looked up to see who helped me.

There was nobody there.

Did I imagine it?

No. Somebody helped me, alright.

But whoever it was is gone now.

I ran a little longer, and just as the voice said, there was a building with doors, right across that little fence. I jumped over it and climbed the stairs. When I grabbed the handle, I paused to look around.

I was alone, but why did I get the strangest feeling that I was…watched?

I took a deep breath, and pushed open the doors. Once inside I noticed right away that the lights were on. Is the Dark Hour over? When the doors quietly shut tight behind me, out of the shadows a guy walks up to me, a warm smile on his face. He was wearing a gray bomber jacket and white jeans. "You're finally here," he said, his smile growing wider. He had a nice smile; his golden eyes seemed to sparkle. "I didn't think you'd take this long to get here."

He swept a hand over his pale blond hair before gesturing towards the front desk.

"I need you to do me a favor."

I blinked. Isn't that kid in pajamas supposed to appear to me, or something? "What favor?" I asked, and glanced at the desk. Instead of the red folder I was expecting, it was light green.

"Well, actually you'll find out once you sign this contract," he replied mysteriously. "Don't worry, it only says that you have to willingly accept responsibility for the choices you happen to make. Nothing personal, really."

Who was this guy?

I opened the velvet-like cover and scratched in 'Takeba, Yukari' with a pen that happened to be in reach. When I finished, the contract disappeared.

"Nobody can escape time."

I looked up and saw him holding the contract. "Nothing in this world lasts forever, so their time is precious. Once it's gone, it's gone. Mistakes can't be redone; we can only hope for a brighter future." With a playful wave of his hand, the contract vanished.

He has power. Was he the one who led me here?

"Nope, sorry, I wasn't the one," he said. Did he just… read my mind?

"Then, tell me," I demanded. "Tell me who helped me." He chuckled. "You're a special person, Yukari, and the one who helped you is special, too. He's actually pretty close by." He took one step back.

"Make sure nobody dear to you gets hurt. You will face many trials."

The smile on his face slowly faded. His golden eyes suddenly looked pained.

"If only," he mused, taking another step back. "If only…I had received a similar warning, then perhaps…" He took one more step back, and the lights suddenly switched off. He had disappeared as quickly as the light. "And so it begins…" I heard him murmur from some unknown direction.

It was still the Dark Hour.

Ok, so this is the part where Yukari runs out and yells 'Who's there', right? Oh, yeah, I almost forgot- I'M Yukari! So…

"Who's there?!"

It was a male voice I never heard before. I tried to see through the darkness. Suddenly…

Ka-shiiiiing!!... It was the sound of a very, _very_ sharp blade. Then I heard the footsteps. Coming closer and closer and-!

"Arisato, wait!"

Suddenly, the lights came on. For real this time. The Dark Hour has ended.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: Just keep guessing, folks! Don't worry, I type my best with every chapter.

Thank you for reviewing Mr. Thumbsup and Hana Goldflower!

**THREE: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT**

"You're late," Mitsuru commented with a smile, walking up to me. "It's 12:01." "Erm… I'm sorry," I mumbled, suddenly feeling shy. "Who's she?" The blue haired teen (which you probably recognize as the _former_ protagonist, I'm sure) asked. "Her name is Yukari Takeba. Apparently it was a last minute decision to assign her here," Mitsuru explained. She turned to me. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo, and this," she gestured towards the boy, "Is Minato Arisato. He'll be a junior this spring, just like you."

"Hey," Minato said, looking at me with suspicion. I noticed the rapier in his hand. So, that was what made that noise…

"Nice to meet you…um, do I need to learn how to fence, too?" I cracked, motioning towards his weapon. Not that I didn't know what it was for, mind you. It's just that… the way he was staring at me… was making me feel uncomfortable.

My lousy attempt at a joke actually worked.

"No, sorry, club members only," he chuckled. "And… nice to meet you, too."

"Now that introductions are over, could you take her to her room?" Mitsuru asked him. "It's the one at the end of the hall." Minato shrugged and motioned for me to follow him.

We walked up two flights of stairs, and walked to the room. "Here's your key," he said, and handed me a small, shiny key. "Your things should be inside already… and make sure you don't lose your key, or you'll never hear the end of it," he warned. I giggled.

"Oh, before you go in… was everything ok when you got here?" He suddenly asked.

That question took me by surprise. What should I tell him? That I practically freaked?

Should I tell him the truth?... Nah.

"Yeah, everything was fine," I lied. Minato 'hmmed' and mused for a while.

After a brief pause, I said, "Arisato-kun? Is there… anything else?" "…well, for starters, just call me Minato," he suggested. "And… I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but I'll just try to answer them tomorrow, ok?"

"Tell me about it," I mumbled to myself the next morning as I brushed my teeth in front of my mirror. I stared at my- Yukari's- reflection. Why do I look like her, anyway? I could've looked like Mitsuru, or maybe Fuuka, or the very least an anime version of myself…

"Takeba-san? It's Minato- are you awake?" Minato called, knocking on my door. I spat toothpaste residue into the sink. "Yeah!"

I opened the door. "You can call me Yukari," I told him. "Oh, well, Mitsuru-sempai asked me to escort you school…" he trailed off. I grinned. "I'd appreciate it."

Unlike the game, when we got to school he led me straight to the Faculty Office. "Here we are," he said. "…Can you handle it yourself?" "Yeah, thanks," I said and entered the office. Everything that happened next was pretty much like the game.

And so… that's how it went for my first day.

Here I am sitting at my desk, minding my own business when an irritatingly familiar voice calls out to me. "Yo! Wazzup, girl?" I looked up and saw Junpei coming towards me with a goofy grin on his face. "Uh…who are you?" I asked him. "Huh? Me?" He replied.

Well,_ duh_…who the heck am I talking to?

"I'm just your average Junpei Iori," he introduced. "I thought you looked a little lonely, being new and all, so I just wanted to say hi." He chuckled. "I'm such a nice guy…"

"Don't listen to him," Minato said, walking up to my desk. "He only likes the sound of his own voice." "Look who's talking. I didn't come to school with a hot chick…unlike_ someone_ I know," Junpei murmured slyly. Minato ignored him. Instead he turned to me. "It looks like we're classmates, Yukari." I smiled at him. "Must be Fate."

"Ok, ok- WHY are you two acting like you've known each other for years??" Junpei teased. "C'mon! Gimme the dirt!" "That's it," Minato muttered and stalked away. "You can go to the arcade by yourself!" he called to Junpei over his shoulder. Junpei ran after him, yelling, "Oh c'mon dude! I was just joking!"

On my way back from school, I got lost.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: Yes! I already have 4 Chapters!

**FOUR: VELVET AND GOLD**

What are my parents and my brother doing now? Were they looking for me? Am I on the front page of some newspaper? Those thoughts kept swirling around in nonstop circles inside my mind.

_My thoughts and doubts are like flies. I swat them away, but they keep coming back, _I thought with disgust as I pushed open the dorm door the very next day.

Oh yeah- I was lost yesterday, but that gut with yellow eyes led me back.

_FLASHBACK_

_"Are you lost...?" He asked me, his eyes twinkling with amusement. I blushed. "Who asked you, anyway?!" _

_He shrugged. "I only wanted to help." He walked off. "Hey!" I cried, running after him. "Wait for me!" He disappeared around a corner. "Wait!" I cried again. When I turned the corner, I found myself standing just a few feet away from the dorm. _

_END OF FLASHBACK _

"Oh, here she is," I heard Minato say. I looked up and saw Minato sitting with a man in a brown business suit. He motioned for me to come over. Once I was seated, he smiled. "You're the new student, right? I'm Shuji Ikutsuki," he introduced. He suddenly chuckled. "Hard to pronounce, huh? Even I get tongue-twisted sometimes. Anyway…" he chuckled again as if he'd just made the greatest joke in the world.

"…Please forgive the confusion with the room assignments. But, I'm sure that by next month you'll be moved to a room in the girl's dorm. Do you have any questions?"

Oh, heck yeah I got questions! Like, why do I look like Yukari? Who's that golden- eyed guy that keeps popping up? What's Minato's problem, trying to skewer me with a rapier? And how did I get sucked into all this?

But, in reality, I just said, "No sir, I'm good."

"Then I advise you to sleep good and early tonight," Mr. Ikutsuki said. "You know what they say! The early bird catches the bookworm! Ah… please forgive the bad pun." Chuckling for the third time, he got up and left. "Don't mind his jokes," Minato advised me a moment later. "He can get really-" he stopped and stared at me.

Why, you ask? Minato's next line should explain it…

"Yukari, why are you laughing?... Don't tell me it's because…?"

I don't remember when I fell asleep. But when I opened my eyes, I was sitting at a table. Sitting opposite of me was Igor, and standing beside him was Elizabeth.

"Welcome, dear child. We've anxiously awaited your arrival," he said. "As of now, everything is set in motion." "…Huh?" That was the only reaction I could muster.

"I am Igor, and this is Elizabeth." He introduced.

"Wait," I said. "Why were you waiting for me?"

"You have been chosen by Judgment to carry out a task of infinite importance," Igor told me. "You, and…_him_..."

With a flick of his wrist, TWO contracts appeared, one red and the other light green. And with one fluid motion of his hand, the contracts opened, revealing TWO signatures.

The light green one was the contract I signed, while the other one…

"Minato?" I managed to choke out in shock. "When? How?"

"All will be revealed in time," Igor simply said. "All I ask of you now is that you abide by the contract. If you agree, you will be allowed here, in the Velvet Room, as a guest."

"But, I… don't understand," I said faintly.

"That is fine…for now…" Igor snapped his fingers, and a key floated down to my lap.

"That is the Velvet Key," He explained. "And take this, as well," Elizabeth said, and handed me something wrapped in purple cloth. "Good Luck," she said shyly.

"And till we meet again…" Igor said.

When I woke up the next morning, the Velvet Key and the bundle were in my hands. Setting the key aside, I quickly unwrapped the bundle- and gasped.

It was a gun. A shiny, yellow gun.

On closer inspection, I realized it was SOLID GOLD. And not just any gun…

It was a SOLID GOLD EVOKER.

(It is implied that I am gasping, shaking and trembling uncontrollably.)

Whoa.

I kept thinking about it all day long. My first impulse was to auction it online for a hefty sum. Then I thought of showing it off at school. Later, back at the dorm, I thought that I should just show it to Minato, who I know would be very _interested_ in it. And finally, when I was back in my room, I thought I should just keep it to myself.

Damn- I didn't know _what_ to do with it. It was _so_ cool…

I was still grumbling about it to myself late that night as I closed my eyes to sleep when…

KA-BOOM!!

…The Shadow had begun its attack.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: If you're wondering, I got this idea from reading mythology. And whenever I run out of ideas, I stare for hours at the cover of "A Certain Day in Summer", which is a drama cd. It has a picture of Minato and Yukari posing together, along with their respective Personas. It looks pretty cool…

**FIVE: TRIGGERED INSTINCT**

"Is this why Elizabeth gave me an Evoker?" I wondered aloud as I quickly put on a black turtleneck and my white cargo pants(I've always wondered if Minato slept in his uniform at this point of the game…). I slipped the Gold Evoker into one of my pockets.

Someone pounded on my door. "Yukari!" I heard Minato yell from the other side. "I hate to disturb your privacy but I'm coming in!"

I quickly yanked open the door before he could seriously break it down.

"What's going on??" I asked him, even though I was already completely aware of the situation. "No time to explain," was his hurried reply. "We've gotta get outta here before-!"

The dorm suddenly shook, cutting him off. He pointed down the hall. "Let's go!"

We ran for a split second before he suddenly stopped. I bumped into him.

"What's wrong?" I said. He turned and shoved a pocket knife into my hand. "…Just in case…" was all Minato told me.

We stopped in front of the dorm's backdoor, which was on 1st floor. "Okay," he said. "We should be safe now."

All of a sudden, a female voice rang through the air from somewhere on Minato's uniform. "Minato! Do you read me?" I think it was Mitsuru.

Minato touched a little receiver on his uniform collar(Why didn't I notice it before?). "Yes!" He answered. "Be careful," Mitsuru warned. "There's more than one Shadow. The one we're fighting right now isn't the one Akihiko saw!"

"…What?" Minato gasped.

As if in reply, someone… or something… banged on the door from the other side. REALLY HARD. The sudden noise shocked us both.

"Damn. Now what? They've completely surrounded the building…" Minato muttered in concentration. This was getting a little too scary for me!

_Think_! I ordered myself, trying to shake off my fear. _What to do next?_

Oh, yeah- that's right!

"This way!" I yelled, and pointed at the stairs. Together, we bounded up the flights as fast as we could. A sudden short earthquake made me lose my balance, but Minato helped me get back on my feet; we continued up the stairs.

At the top, we instantly noticed the door to the rooftop. And then, without warning, another tremor, even stronger than the ones before, rocked the building. The floor moved beneath our feet; the ceiling seemed to crumble a bit.

We literally fell through the door- but when we heard the growls of Shadows coming up the stairs in hot pursuit, we used every bit of strength we had to scramble back up to close the door and carefully lock it.

Minato and I barely caught our breath when we turned to witness four black blobs wearing masks slithering towards us.

I panicked. Hey- don't look at me that way!

How would _you_ react to other-worldly creatures crawling towards you, intent on feeding off of your brains? Especially since the only weapon you have is a puny little pocket knife that some teen gives you!

But Minato didn't panic. No, he didn't.

He pulled out an Evoker.

Pointed it at his brains.

And fired, summoning… Thanatos?

I rubbed my eyes, not believing what they were showing me. It really _was_ Thanatos.

With a single, Vorpal Blade cutting motion, the Shadows were instantly reduced to pools of black muck. Blech. Before I could start whooping and clapping like Minato had just finished singing a hit song, a frightening thought entered my mind:

There's still one more Shadow. And not an ordinary one, either.

Minato suddenly held out a hand to stop me from doing or saying anything. "Be careful," he warned in a grave voice. "It isn't over yet!"

As if on cue, a large mass of black hands crawled over the edge of the rooftop- and headed straight towards us. It held a sharp dagger in each hand. Its head was just another hand among the mass- except instead of a knife, it was holding a freaky, blue mask. The knives shone in the full moon's eerie green light…

But if we didn't do something, quick, the daggers would soon be bathed dull with our blood!

Minato geared up into action and attacked it. He slashed at it, all the while avoiding the Shadow's attempts to stab him with some fancy footwork.

His moves were _so bad,_ it made him look _so good._

_You can do it_! I cheered silently. But after a few minutes, it really looked like he was getting really tired. How long could he last?

When Minato prepared to shoot himself for the umpteenth time, the Shadow got smart and slapped the Evoker out of his hand. When he dived to get it, he was roughly smacked to the ground. As he struggled to get up, the Shadow poised one of its knives to strike him down again- and this time, for good.

Like I'd ever let that happen to the Main Character for the second time, not to mention so early in this story!

I grabbed the Evoker in my pocket, but I was too frozen with fear to take it out.

Dammit!

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see Minato's end. At this very moment I felt so weak and pathetic…

"It's all right," a different voice murmured. It was the voice from before… I opened my eyes and found myself completely surrounded by black nothingness.

"What do you mean, all right?!" I yelled back. "Minato's about to die! I'm about to die! And I… I…"

"Don't worry," the voice assured me. "Nobody will die. All you have to do is pull the trigger, and everything will be over."

Who was telling me this? Who?

"Really?" I asked timidly, more than willing to believe it.

"Yes," the voice confirmed. "For your sake… for everyone's sake…"

This time, I opened my eyes for real, a strange sense of calm enveloping me. I was still on the rooftop. Minato was still about to be erased from the face of the planet.

But I wasn't afraid anymore.

When the Gold Evoker was positioned on my temple, glinting brightly in the moonlight, I asked nobody in particular…

"Who…are you?"

I pulled the trigger.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: I wonder if other people are reading this fanfic? It kinda scares me to death to try to think about what they feel about my story…

Thanks to vastler75, Mr. Thumbsup, and Hana Goldflower for always sticking with me! And please- don't hesitate to review! Show me your fannish guts! (Wazzat mean?)

**SIX: AWAKENING**

They say when you're scared, you do crazy things, like putting a gun to your head. I'm not really sure if it justified what I just did to myself. For those who skipped the last chapter, I'll tell you now. I pulled the bead on myself- and pulled the trigger.

There was no pain. Only a strange numbness came over my body, and I felt extremely lightheaded. I hardly felt like I was a part of my own body.

Was this how it felt like to die?

I was suddenly surrounded by a swirling field of golden light.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Minato staring at me, his jaw slack. His face was so priceless, I couldn't help but crack a tiny smile.

"Thou art I… and I am thou…" The mysterious voice said from somewhere above me. "At the call of the Gift of thy soul I come forth. I… am Orpheus, Master of Strings."

No way! All this time… the voice belonged to my Persona? Orpheus?

The Shadow shrieked and Orpheus roared his battle cry. The Shadow attacked, trying to stab the Master of Strings with its knives. My Persona (I still can't shake off the fact that Orpheus is _my_ Persona) easily evaded them all. When he finally got his chance, Orpheus swung down his lyre in a powerful Cleave.

But the attack didn't even faze it; the Shadow seemed unaffected and charged again.

"Orpheus!" I cried, my voice seeming to echo all around. "Physical attacks won't work! Try using magic!" At this, Orpheus stopped charging at the Mass and held his lyre in position. He began to play a song that was incredibly complicated; his fingers seemed to fly over the strings.

When the Shadow lunged again, a large, fiery circle of red suddenly surrounded it.

The circle suddenly exploded in fire, blazing high up into the night sky like a volcano erupting at night. The fire trapped the Shadow, completely engulfing it in its burning clutches. The dorm's rooftop was totally encased in heat.

After a few seconds of scorching mayhem, the fire just stopped, like it never exsisted. And there was no trace left of the Shadow, except for a few cinders here and there.

I slowly walked up to where it used to be, just to make sure it was gone.

The mask was still there. Using the pocket knife Minato gave me earlier, I stabbed it, ending its misery. It cracked and dissolved into nothing.

It's finally over. At least for tonight.

I exhaled loudly, relief flooding my very being. "From the Gift of thy soul I come forth, to the Fields I must return. Thou are all I see, thou are all I must protect…" I heard Orpheus say solemnly. I wonder what it means? Gift of thy soul…to the Fields I return…

Suddenly, I felt extremely tired. Nearby, Minato had risen to his feet and has retrieved his Evoker from the ground. I heard other people bust through the door behind me- Akihiko and Mitsuru, no doubt.

The ground tilted beneath my feet. I let my Evoker slip from my hand as I blacked out.

--

Funny how I keep ending up here lately. What am I talking about? Duh, the Velvet Room! In front of me, Igor had a pleased look on his face. Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with happiness. "Well done," Igor congratulated me. "You've done impressively well for your first try." "Indeed," Elizabeth said agreeably. "It was right for Judgment to bestow the Gift on her."

I was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The power you've just displayed… that is called Persona," Igor explained. "However, your Persona-abilities are…quite different. And in order to hone your unique power, you will require my help in doing so. Just like…_him_…you will be given a task of utmost importance, and you are expected to fulfill it."

He mused to himself for awhile, as if there was something else. There was.

"You both share the same abilities, but your power seems to have been awakened long ago by someone else. That was… very interesting and unexpected." He told me.

"You mean…" I thought for a minute. "I wasn't imagining a voice?"

"A voice, you say?" Igor murmured, suddenly interested.

"Master," Elizabeth said. "Perhaps…?"

Igor smiled knowingly at me. "This has taken an interesting turn. Judgment has truly made a fine choice in choosing his successor. You are full of surprises."

Suddenly, Elizabeth coughed. Taking the hint, Igor told me, "Time marches on in your world. I cannot keep you any longer."

"Wait," I cried. This confusing mass of information was really new. There were so many things I didn't understand! "Who's Judgment, anyway?"

"Maybe you can ask him yourself the next time you see him," Elizabeth suggested. "Remember, he chose you to fulfill him."

"Till we meet again," Igor whispered.

--

"You still among the living, Takeba?" A male voice cracked from somewhere on my right. "Barely," I mumbled. The sudden brightness was blinding me.

Minato calls me Yukari, Junpei calls me Yuka-tan. There's only one other male that I haven't spoken directly to yet…

I glanced at the silver-haired teen with my eyes half open. He grinned at me. "Time to wake up, sleepy-head."

I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. It looked like a hospital, and I was on a bed with the sheets pulled all the way to my chin. "Where should I start?" he asked me. "I heard its common courtesy to give your own name first," I suggested.

"Oh… I'm Akihiko Sanada. We live at the same dorm."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"For seven days straight," He said, and shook his head in amazement. "The doctor said you were just suffering from fatigue, but you kept sleeping and sleeping… Minato was the one checking up on you for the whole week, except for today, because I think he had to run an errand. And, since I'm here for my appointment, well… I dropped by for him."

I didn't reply. I didn't feel like I needed to. And I still felt really drained. It's actually kind of ridiculous when you think about it. I mean, how could I be tired if I've been sleeping for a week?

Akihiko seemed to sense this. "It's all right, you should just rest a bit more. I'll let the nurse know, alright?"

I nodded, and closed my eyes again.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: I'm having fun writing this. When you make a story, are you happy with the results? Sorry- random question. By the way, does the Dorm have a kitchen? If it doesn't, it will get one for fanfiction convenience.

**SEVEN: JOINING S.E.E.S.**

Jaws dropped when I entered classroom 2-F that morning. Junpei was crying his eyes out. Somebody hollered that I was an Apathy Syndrome survivor, so there were a whole lot of oohs and aahs. My classmates asked a bunch of dumb questions. Ms. Toriumi, our adviser (you know her, right?), asked me to go up in front of the class and give a speech on 'the will to live'. And the only thing I could comment about today was, "What the ?!"

Why do weird things keep happening to me, anyway?

And to make things even weirder, after Junpei finished crying, he started acting all mysterious and evasive, and he grinned like he knew some big secret or something.

During lunch, Mitsuru approached me at my desk. "While you were at the hospital, we discovered someone else with…an ability." "Huh? Really?" I gasped. "When? How?" "Minato found him at the convenience store the night before, while patrolling," she explained. "What's his name?" I questioned, even though I had a hunch on who it could possibly be. "Your classmate, Junpei Iori," Mitsuru answered. "He'll be staying at our dorm from now on."

When I got back from school that evening, my cellphone rang, just as I entered. I answered it. "Hello?"

"Good evening," Elizabeth greeted from the other end. "Have you a moment?"

I checked my watch, the type with all those different functions. Mitsuru told me to meet everyone at the Control Room once I got back, but I think they can wait a little longer. "Yeah, I have time. What is it?"

"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you. When you get the chance, come see me here in the Velvet Room," she murmured. And with that, the line went dead. Couldn't have she at least said goodbye? I snapped my cellphone shut and slowly walked to the stairs.

--

I'm pretty sure you know what happened next: First and foremost, I got interrogated by my seniors and Mr. Ikutsuki (Minato just stood silent in one corner, feeling sorry for me, and the sudden stress and discomfort I had to bear). But I wasn't surprised. In fact, throughout the school day, I had carefully thought out the types of questions they would ask, and how I would reply.

I couldn't reveal too much, so the only way I could get through was by answering their questions with no direct answer at all.

The interrogation sounded like this:

First, Mitsuru,"Where did you get your Evoker?"

"I thought it was just an ordinary gun, until a week ago."

Then, Akihiko,"How did you learn to use it, then?"

"After watching Minato-kun battle those…things."

Mitsuru again,"You were perfectly at ease during your first Dark Hour- no memory loss, panic…was that really your first time fighting them?"

(I had to think about that one- I didn't think they'd ask it. Would they believe me if I told them that Shadows became a common sight after playing the video game?)

"Let's just say… that I've always been able to see them, but I never had the power to fight them… until now."

That wasn't a exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth.

And when I finally finished answering their questions, Mr. Ikutsuki returned to me my Evoker. I didn't know why, but I felt weird without it in my pocket. Mitsuru, being the practical- minded person she was, handed me a holster for my Evoker.

And that's how I joined the Special Extracurricular Execution Squad.

--

Later, while I was making a little late snack for myself in the kitchen, Minato entered. "You're a mysterious person, Yukari-chan." With precise timing, I skillfully flipped over the pieces of ham that sizzled loudly on the frying pan. "Why do you say that?" Minato sat down on one of the stool at the counter. "The way you answered our senpais' questions sounded pretty mysterious to me."

I turned off the heat and shook the bacon onto a plate. "What did they say?" "They're trying to decide whether or not you can be trusted," he answered, and sniffed the air. "Business aside… I didn't know you knew how to cook." I took a seat on the stool next to him. "Don't you?" "Yes, I do. Actually, I'm on perpetual kitchen duty. If Mitsuru-senpai finds out, we're gonna be taking turns cooking," he replied, grabbing a piece from my plate.

Suddenly, Akihiko entered the kitchen. He glanced wonderingly at my cooking before saying, "Junpei's here." "Really?" I gasped. Minato snatched another piece of bacon and shoved it into his mouth before grinning at the annoyed expression I directed at him. "Let's go say hi, shall we?" I chased him out of the kitchen.

--

After the introductions and explanations (and Junpei's traditional, "Tell Me Everything" conversations) were over, Mitsuru suddenly said, "Now that we have enough for a full party, we can try out _that place_. Right, Mr. Chairman?" Mr. Ikutsuki smiled. "In fact, I was thinking the exact same thing. You can go tonight, but be careful."

Junpei scratched his head. "…Uh, where?" "It's called Tartarus. It's like a Shadow's nest," Minato explained.

"Sounds like toothpaste," Junpei and I said at the exact same time.

We looked at each other and laughed. "If that's the case, then we should prepare," Akihiko said, cracking his knuckles with anticipation. "And of course, you'll stay on first floor, with me. You can't get too reckless, now," Mitsuru reminded him, gesturing towards his injury. Akihiko muttered a reply.

--

What were five high school students doing, standing around in front of their school so late at night?

_Waiting for trouble_.

"Uh, how long do we wait?" Junpei asked a few minutes later. Mitsuru checked her cellphone. "It's almost the Dark Hour. Be patient."

Akihiko muttered something under his breath. I moved closer to him. "Did you say something, senpai?" "Huh? Oh, I… well, it's nothing, really," he said slowly. "But wait till you see Tartarus." As he finished his sentence, the street lamp that was brightly lit down the street switched off. I shivered as a familiar chill crept up my spine.

It was the Dark Hour. But I think I'm already getting used to the feel of it. In fact, it didn't seem as scary as my first time.

Suddenly, the school stretched and morphed high into the sky. From the gate, we looked on as Gekkoukan High soon looked nothing like before. It looked more like something out of a bad horror movie.

Junpei was the first to react. "What the hell happened to our school??"


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: AHEM! I would like to thank everyone for sticking with me through thick and thin! I already have more than ten reviews... And is it just me, or is completely _devoid _of any and all JunpeixYukari fics(except for the one I uploaded)? And please tell me what you think of this chapter!

**EIGHT: ELIZABETH'S REQUEST**

"Our school is gone!" Junpei cried, effectively earning sighs from everyone standing around him. "It's alright," Mitsuru said, rubbing her temples and smiling at the same time(from amusement, I guess). "Our school will regain its shape when Dark Hour has ended." "Our school is gone!" Junpei cried again, his eyes bugging out at the ever growing tower that, only a second ago, was our school.

It was amazing, really. I felt an odd sense of doom from the tower, but at the same time I couldn't help but notice how awesome it looked in person. You know, illuminated by the moon and all. This was definitely better than kneeling before my T.V. during an anime cutscene, trying to grasp every single detail.

"Our school is gone!" Junpei cried yet again, grabbing my shoulders and staring me down with a half-crazed, "I don't believe what I'm seeing" look in his eyes. I rolled my eyes all the way to the moon and shoved him away. "Yes! I got the message!"

"Now that we've got our daily dose of stupid, I guess we can go in now." Akihiko pointed at the gate, which had swung open without a sound.

--

It looked way better inside than outside, let me tell you. There were the stairs leading to 2nd floor, the glowing access point portal that had yet to be used which was standing in one corner, and an ivory clock. The floors and walls seemed to be made of glass, or crystal, which was somehow undeniably alluring. I felt pulled towards them, like a moth attracted to a flame; it seemed to sparkle with vermillion flashes under the pale moonlight.

Unable to resist, I strode over to one of the walls and splayed a trembling hand on it. In a flash, the wall changed underneath my palm; the glass was an illusion. I watched it fade into a hard, stone wall. All it took was one touch for the walls to turn cold. "…There seems to be only illusions here," Orpheus murmured from somewhere inside me.

But, at the same time, it felt like his whisper came from somewhere else, somewhere far, far away…

_You can talk? _I whispered silently to myself. "Of course," Orpheus replied in his deep voice.

Since when could you communicate with a Persona?

Since when was Orpheus Yukari's Persona?

A lot of changes have been made to the game's storyline, ever since the beginning. I wonder why?

"Alright, I'm assigning you leader from here on out," I heard Mitsuru say. I turned to watch the familiar scene that was unfolding.

"…Huh? Minato? Why him?" Junpei asked. "He already has some experience fighting the Shadows and knows how to handle them," Mitsuru told him. "Therefore it's wise to start out with a leader who knows what to do." Akihiko pointed his Evoker at his head. "Anyways, can you summon and control your Persona the way he does?"

While they were busy talking, out of the corner of my eye I noticed something. I looked up to see a purple door, which I know _wasn't_ there before. Probably the Velvet Room door.

I suddenly remembered that I had to go see Elizabeth when I had the chance. I walked up to it and tried the knob. It didn't even budge. Dang. Now what?

"…Do you have a key?"

Minato walked up to me, twirling a key ring around and around on his finger. I shook my head no. He shrugged and popped the key in the keyhole, and stepped aside, letting me do the honors. I tried the knob again; this time, it turned easily. I made a mental note to always carry my Velvet Key around before pushing the door open. I was suddenly enveloped in a strange, bluish light…

--

"I've been expecting you," Elizabeth said as I sat down. She was standing at her usual post, but Igor was nowhere to be seen. "I need a small favor, actually. You will be able to accomplish it tonight, I'm very sure."

"What is it?"

"I need you to acquire the Lead Coin."

What the heck?

"I believe you can get this from a Wealth Hand, which is a very rare form of Shadow," she explained. I held up my hands to slow her down. "Wait one damn minute! When am I supposed to give it to you?" "As soon as you finish exploring the first few floors of Tartarus," Elizabeth replied. "Don't worry, you will be greatly rewarded. If you adhere, I shall give you a little something that will help you achieve success."

I had to admit- she had me hooked. I _love_ rewards and mysterious gifts! But I wasn't through with questioning her yet.

"And what's the reward for this?"

"I have permission from my Master. I can reveal to you some important facts about the task Judgment has assigned to both of you, which I am sure you will be very interested to learn."

Hmmm…sounds fair enough!

I nodded my head. She stepped behind the table and bent down to grab whatever was there. She then moved towards me and handed me… a sword. The blade part was long and thin, and the hilt was bronze. "Here you are. I hope it helps."

I took it from her and studied it. It was surprisingly light. Elizabeth smiled at me.

"Good luck."

--

Upon exiting the Velvet Room, everyone was gathered around Mitsuru and her motorcycle. Minato immediately noticed me and beckoned me over. Curiosity got the better of me; I went over to check it out.

"…These Shadows," Mitsuru was saying. Junpei was now holding a long samurai sword that looked extra-fake (and it probably was), while Minato was holding his rapier. Resting on the motorcycle's seat was a large bag with its zipper open, and a lot of weapons sticking out. I could easily make out a club, a kunai, the handle of a rapier like Minato's, and a weird bamboo arnis stick. There was also a lot of stuff I didn't recognize.

"So, is everyone ready?" Mitsuru asked. "Wait, we're not gonna go far, are we?" Junpei asked shrilly. "Of course not," Akihiko answered. "You just need to get the feel of this place." "And take this-" Mitsuru handed me and Junpei a little receiver like Minato's.

So, Minato, Junpei and I made our way up the stairs to 2nd floor. Minato paused at the top to look at us, making sure we were ready before opening the door…

--

I looked around. It was a bit dark, and there was something awful to smell in the air, like a sewer smell. I listened for sounds- there were none. Then I realized something.

Minato and Junpei were nowhere to be seen.

I was all alone.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: …Do you believe in ghosts?

**NINE: JUDGMENT**

Oh, crap. Here I am, in some Shadow-infested tower…alone.

This was my lucky day.

"Yukari! Do you read me?" Mitsuru's voice spoke via transceiver. "Yeah," I replied, holding my sword at ready, just in case. "I'm not sure how, but you three were somehow separated," she said.

Like I didn't know that already!

"I contacted the others. Meet them at the stairs to 3rd floor, alright?"

"Ok."

I crept slowly down the dark hall. It seemed to stretch on forever, until I reached a fork. I chose the left path and continued.

Every little sound in that quiet tower was deafening. My shuffling feet sounded like rough sandpaper rubbing against a chalkboard. I could've sworn that the sound of my heart beating was echoing all over the place.

Soon, I reached a dead end. I had gone down the wrong path. But when I turned, I found myself facing four new paths that I just _know_ wasn't there before. How could I have forgotten that Tartarus was an ever changing place?

"Lost again, huh?" Murmured an amused male voice.

I turned around again, and instead of the dead end, there was yet _another_ path.

And standing just a few feet away from me was… that guy in the bomber jacket. The guy with those weird, golden eyes. And he had a very smug look on his face that did _not_ make me happy. I put my hands on my hips. "Stop doing that."

"What?"

"Stop sneaking around like that!"

His grin broadened, his eyes twinkling with challenge. "I'm not sneaking," he said meaningfully. I sighed. "What do you want?"

"Want?" My question seemed to strike him funny. He laughed quietly to himself. "I don't want anything. But… there's something _you_ want. And as your guide, I'll help you get whatever you desire."

I stared him down. "What do you mean?"

He returned my gaze. "You already know."

"What's your name?" I asked him, eager to stop referring to him as 'that guy'.

"My name?"

"Yeah, your name. You _do _have one, right? I'm Yukari, so what's your name?"

He gaped at me with fake bewilderment. "Really? That's _my_ name, too!"

"Oh, get real…"

He was obviously teasing me, testing me.

After a moment, his smile faded. "I'm telling the truth. I'm your guide, and I'm also the one who assigned you with _that task_." I absorbed this, going over what he said over and over in my mind.

"Wait… You're Judgment?"

He shrugged. "I guess you can call me that. It's what Igor calls me, anyway."

"Why?"

"…Well, my Persona is assigned to the Judgment Arcana, so…"

This was a real shocker! So, he has a Persona, too…

"Well?"

I looked up and saw him motioning for me to follow him. I had no choice.

--

I trailed after him through a maze of turns and hallways. We walked in silence for a while. Determined to break the silence I said, "What's the task, anyway?" He suddenly stopped walking and turned to me. I halted a few feet away. "Do you really want to know?" I gulped, and nodded my head.

"Let's just say… it's really hard, and it will take you about a year to do. But I know you'll be able to do it," he began, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Or…maybe not."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You see, about ten years ago, two gifted people, who shared the same power as you and Minato, attempted to fulfill that task. But they failed…"

"Failed? How?"

He stared at me directly, his eyes burning into mine. "They were friends, those two boys… they both started out as a force for good. But one of them…" he paused, searching for the right words. "…Changed. Completely changed. And one day, he began to… abuse his Gift for selfish purposes."

"What about the other guy?"

He sighed. "He tried to understand him, tried to save him from that overwhelming darkness… but he failed. That fool who turned evil…and his former friend fought a fierce battle just when they were about end this nightmare we are standing in right now. Because of this, the being they were supposed to destroy was able to unleash its havoc upon tenth of Japan." He shuddered before saying, "That fool was severely punished, while the friend…" he shook his head.

For some reason, he looked a little sad. I couldn't help but wonder why...

--

He led me all the way to the stairs. We were silent the rest of the way. At the end of one hall he stopped and turned once more.

"Masuhiro Furushiki."

"…Huh?" I said, totally unsure whether or not I heard him correctly.

"You wanted to know my name, right? I'm Masuhiro Furushiki," he repeated. And then he smiled. Not a mysterious one, or a smug one. It was the first time he truly smiled at me. I suddenly blinked; he had disappeared as quickly as he had come.

"You're the first person I told that to in a really long while…" I heard him whisper.

I was alone again. But not for long.

--

Minato and Junpei were already at the stairs, waiting for me.

I walked over to them and grinned. "Did I miss anything good?" "Nope, we're just getting started," Minato told me. I was about to say something in reply when Junpei yelled, "Yow! What the hell is that thing?!"

Minato and I looked up just in time to see something that looked like a big, yellow hand rush past us and up the stairs. The Wealth Hand!

"Hurry!" I yelled. "Let's go after it!"

They didn't need convincing.

We chased the Wealth Hand up three consecutive floors.

But for some reason, we didn't run into any other Shadow...

On 5th floor, Mitsuru's voice suddenly warned, "Be careful! I detect 3 Shadows that are slightly different from the rest on this floor!" "What? Three?" Minato asked.

We were catching up with the rare form. It turned a corner; we followed suit.

But then we heard the flapping.

The screeching.

A sudden gust of wind slowed us down.

We stopped running and looked up to see what Mitsuru talked about.

Three giant, bird-like Shadows were heading our way. They could only be one thing.

"Guardians!" I cried. "I've got a good idea," Junpei said. Minato and I looked at him expectantly.

"What?" We asked him at the exact same time.

"RUN!!"


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: THIS IS IMPORTANT!! I'd like to announce that I'm happy that lots of people have taken an interest in my story (mostly from my school, though)! But _one day_ I checked my e-mail…and found my spam box with questions! SO… if you have a question that needs to be answered, JUST CHECK MY PROFILE!! I listed the top ten questions that my schoolmates wanted answered. Just read my profile the whole way through- it says HOW and WHEN to, for example, send me a question that isn't there, and when to ask, etc. DON'T BE SHY!!

**TEN: LEAD COIN**

There were three of them, great yellow creatures flying swiftly, swifter and more menacing than I had ever seen. As they soared, they uttered a weird, piercing cry that made my blood run cold.

They were three times the size of eagles, I guessed, though they were still a little too far away for me to tell.

Minato, Junpei and I stared and stared at those Shadows. Junpei had yelled to run, but it felt like my legs weighed two hundred pounds! And they made no move to run, either.

The Shadows came closer and closer.

Now that they were only yards away, I saw them more clearly.

The moon's light glinted on their powerful, brass-like wings. And their legs had huge claws like curved daggers. But their faces were the most horrible of all. They didn't have feathers. Their faces were more or less human. Girls' faces, with small, dark eyes, and fangs poking out from their pale lips. The Shadows' hair spun out like strands of metal, streaming behind them.

Were they… Harpies?

In front of me, Junpei gasped and stumbled back, causing me to lose my balance. I stumbled into Minato, who had been dead silent ever since.

But the sudden movement somehow got all three of us moving, which, if you ask me, was something we should have done instead of waiting around for our bodies to get ripped to shreds…

"Mitsuru-senpai! We've got a problem!" Minato radioed. "What is it? What's going on?" Mitsuru's voice demanded. "We've just encountered the 3 Shadows you mentioned," I filled in. "And they don't look too happy to see us!" "We need an analysis. We need _anything_ that can help us beat these freaks!" Minato told her.

"Yuka-tan, watch out!" I heard Junpei yell. He tackled me from behind. Right when we hit the floor, a Harpie swooped low, intent on clawing my face off.

How did they manage to catch up so fast?

Junpei pulled me to my feet. Together, we ran and dived behind the shelter of a wall that Minato had beckoned us to. Panting heavily, we watched them from our hiding place.

I could see them more clearly now. I wasn't too far off the mark when I guessed their size. Their feminine faces were twisted with anger and strife and their shrill cries, now completely deafening, were cries filled with pain and hate.

The Harpies wheeled around, soaring and diving, searching for us. When one looked our way, we quickly darted back behind the safety of the wall. We were safe.

But for how long?

"Oh, man, what do we do??" Junpei asked Minato. The poor guy, he was shaking all over. "I'm thinking, I'm thinking," was all our leader could say, with a voice that wasn't as convincing as he planned it. He peeked around the corner again, as if expecting one of them to find us any second now.

_What could we do_? I asked silently to myself.

We definitely couldn't rush out there and fight them. At least, not without letting Mitsuru finish scanning them!

I gripped my sword tightly, just in case.

I looked up to see Junpei staring expectantly at me. I realized he had asked me something, and apparently I didn't hear, partly because the Harpies screams drowned out the sounds, and partly because I was caught up in my own thoughts.

Junpei opened his mouth, but his words were easily drowned out by the said Harpies' cries. "What?!" I said.

"How did you know what they were called?" Junpei repeated, holding his weapon at arm's length.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, just a few minutes ago, you yelled, 'Guardians', or something like that. How'd you know what they were called, Yuka-tan?"

His question sounded like a light-hearted joke. Nevertheless my heart began to beat even faster than a few seconds ago, when I was afraid.

How was I supposed to answer that question?

If I said, "I just guessed," I'd be lying (and for some reason, I didn't want to lie to him, or anyone on S.E.E.S. for that matter). And if I answered, "I've known from the start," I'd have an awful lot of explaining to do. So the only way was to distract him with an answer that wasn't an answer at all.

"Well, you know," I began nervously and stared at my blade as hard as I could, "I mean, er… don't they remind you of the 'Bosses' you have to fight before you proceed in a video game?"

"Wow, you're right!" Junpei agreed empathetically. "I hadn't thought of that!"

My reply seemed to please him. I let out my breath, and my heart gradually slowed down. Maybe I should be more careful with what I say from now on…

Unfortunately, somebody had overheard the whole thing and was now staring at me suspiciously: Minato. My heart began beating at a dangerous velocity all over again. I tore my gaze away from my weapon and glanced nervously at him.

"…Yukari," Minato began hesitantly.

Aaah!! What if he asked me point- blank if I knew more about Shadows than anyone at this very moment?? What would I reply?

I couldn't weasel my way out a second time! I was still worn out from the first time!

"Uh, y'see," I stalled.

Just in time, Mitsuru's voice announced, "I've got it!"

Saved by senpai…

"What's their weaknesses??" Minato demanded impatiently. "They're weak against wind!" Mitsuru responded, her voice crackling with static. "Use Garu skills!"

Wow. What a _great _moment to _not_ have Io. Just perfect…

Minato seemed to sense my distress. "Heh, no worries," he said. "I've got just the Persona who knows how to use wind." And with those words, he suddenly rushed out into the open. "What the-!" Junpei gasped, not believing what he saw Minato do with his own two eyes. "What's he doing??" I rolled my eyes and went after Minato, dragging Junpei by the arm. "Let's go with him," I urged. "You never know what kind of trouble he could get himself into, even though he _is_ our leader."

--

We reached the battle scene just in time to see Minato knock the last Harpie out of the sky and onto the ground with his Angel Persona. I bet you could just guess what happened next, huh?

Yup! You got it! GLORIOUS, ALL-OUT ATTACK TIME!!

--

Two minutes of mindless, hacking-and-slashing chaos later, we fell to the ground on our butts from exhaustion. "Man, I'm beat!" Junpei groaned. Minato mumbled something incomprehensible in reply. I, on the other hand, was way too tired to make a sound.

It was a long night, and frankly, I was relieved it was over. All of a sudden, a bunch of tarot cards danced in a line before my eyes. What the heck? My fatigue all but forgotten, I blinked- they were still there. For some reason, this reminded me about the "Shuffle Time" feature of Persona 3.

If this really was Shuffle Time, then... I choose the 2nd card!

Just as I thought those words, my decided card flipped, revealing a picture of Asparas! All right! am I great, or what? The other cards faded away, and the Asparas card poofed up into millions of tiny stars that showered all over me.

I felt tired all over again...

All we had to do now was find the nearest access point and waltz out of Tartarus and into our bedrooms where our beds were waiting…

I was instantly shaken from my sleepy contemplation by a little rustle. I glanced over my shoulder…and saw something…

Evidently, my work wasn't done, yet.

I slowly rose to my feet, careful to not let it hear me.

"Yukari?" I heard Minato whisper. Junpei didn't say anything. They both saw it, too.

I crept closer and closer to my quarry. With its back still turned, I quickly stabbed it with my sword.

Yes! Direct hit! …What am I talking about? Well…

Even though the first Wealth Hand disappeared, I was able to clean off a different rare form that happened to stroll by, that's what I'm talking about!

I triumphantly picked up the circle on the floor where the Hand used to be before I killed it. The Lead Coin at last! It looked old, felt old. And it seemed to vibrate in my palm. I couldn't help but wonder why Elizabeth needed such a coin.

And with that, we all walked towards the Access Point that would take us back to 1st floor.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: YES!! Skarrow here on Chapter 11! I'll be very honest with you- I had posted this story a long time ago (in a different language) on a different website for fanfiction, but DON"T LOOK FOR IT! I already deleted it. And even if I didn't, it would still be fairly different from the one I'm posting now. Though most of them are from Hana, I already have 18 reviews! But is there some way I could get other people to check my story out?

**ELEVEN: THE DAY AFTER**

"_Eternal Arcana… Eternal Arcana…it's unending. The past will not rest."_

"_Who- who are you?!"_

"_I await the day my imprisonment shall be lost to you. The day I will owe you my freedom…"_

"_I- I don't know what you're talking about…"_

"_I am your protector, forever…I am always watching. Watching over you."_

"_Wait! Don't… don't go!"_

"_And you can erase any mistake. Remember that. The charge is yours…"_

"…_Any…mistake?"_

--

Last night, when we reached 1st floor, Minato helped me sneak away into the Velvet Room. There, I had eagerly handed over the Lead Coin. For some reason, Igor wasn't present this time, either.

"Ah yes… now I believe it is time for your reward. How would you react if I told you that you are a… _protégée?_"

"Excuse me?"

"About ten years ago, time was not right for Death to be sealed away, but because of a certain 'Kirijo' explosion, Death was released earlier than expected. So my Master had no choice but to assign two chosen ones to delay, if not stop, the End. However, one of them began to abuse my Master's Gift… and for his betrayal he was regrettably punished. His comrade, completely in pain for failing, was able to rise above his feelings and accepted Fate, thus he was blessed. While the fool, on the other hand, could not find it in himself to move on, thus instead of releasing himself from punishment by moving on, he has been subjected to the Curse…"

"…Curse? What Curse?"

"A Persona-user has several responsibilities. For one is to willingly accept the consequences of the choices made. Otherwise, if you don't, you will never continue to truly live unless you adhere to. That's what happened to that sad fool- and to you and Minato, if you two aren't careful."

"How the heck are we connected to them?"

"As I said, you are a protégée. And Minato is a protégé. The instant those two chosen ones from before were stripped of their Gifts, it has already moved on to more capable wielders. You are under their care- please understand that they trust that you will fulfill them."

"But… How can I be the protégée of somebody I haven't even met?"

"Perhaps another time. For now, you must go back to your world. Until next time…"

--

After I was done in the Velvet Room, I rejoined them at the very moment Mitsuru decided to call it a night. Together, we walked out of Tartarus, Minato and Junpei having a shoving match (I thought they were tired!) and me trailing behind.

And that's when the dizzy spells started.

One minute I was walking like normal. Then I blinked in the next minute and I found myself on my knees. I couldn't think straight. And soon I finally realized that Minato had doubled back to carry me piggy-back. But the weirdness didn't end there.

That night, I had a dream. I don't remember what it was about, though. I don't really try to remember my dreams but this one felt different somehow.

And for some reason, I found myself _troubled_ with what Masuhiro and Elizabeth told me yesterday. I certainly hadn't asked any of the questions I wanted answered, like, What kind of people were the chosen ones 10 years ago like? What were their names? Lots of questions…

"Uh, hello? Ground control to Mothership! Do you read me?" Junpei waved his hand in front of my face. Me, him and Minato were standing around the Gekkoukan school gate, talking about last night. School had just ended for the day, and the sun was still high up in the sky.

"Whoops, sorry," I apologized. At that instant, I blacked out for a split second. But I quickly shook it off and grasped my head. This was the fourth dizzy spell today.

"Yukari, are you okay?" Minato asked me immediately. Ever since last night, he's been watching me carefully all throughout, until now. I smiled at him, appreciating his concern. "Yeah. I'm not sure why, but I think I'm getting used to it now." "How does it feel like? Do we seriously need to start worrying about you?" Junpei asked me, kicking away an offending rock. I shook my head.

"No, it's alright," I assured him. "As for what it feels like, it's complicated…"

"We're listening," Minato urged.

I paused, searching for the right words. "It's kind of hard to explain. It's like a shiver. It feels like I'm… I'm spiraling out of control. Like I'm falling into… into nothing…"

"Well, that's nothing our _school nurse_ can't take care of!" Junpei exclaimed. Minato and I shuddered in horror at his brave announcement.

Suddenly, there was a commotion from the school's great double doors.

"Eeek! It's Akihiko-senpai!" squealed a girl. "Where!? Where!?" squealed another. "Over there!" said the first girl. All three of us turned to see Akihiko exiting the building. We looked on as a group of fangirls suddenly materialized far and wide, and immediately mobbed him.

Beside me, Junpei shook his head. "Damn. I didn't know he was such a chick magnet. Look at them swoon!" "That means you should stop being so self-centered and stupid," Minato cracked. Junpei playfully shoved him.

"I can't help but agree with you, Junpei," I said. "But I wonder how he feels, getting cornered like that. Jeez, if I were him, I'd think, 'Are these girls gonna _rape_ me or something?'"

Minato, who had been chewing gum the whole time, accidentally choked on it, while Junpei burst into laughter at my sarcastic comment. I had my hands full trying to help Minato cough up his gum, and at the same time trying to shush Junpei up, when finally Akihiko walked by. "Takeba?"

I looked up. "What?" I replied, slapping the coughing Minato on his back.

"Are you free later on?"

"Why do you ask?" I said, punching the giggling Junpei on his shoulder for good measure.

"I need you to stop by at the Police Station at the Paulownia Mall. There's somebody I want you to meet," he said. "Alright?"

"…Ok."

And with that he left, with his fangirls running after him.

--

"Oh, this is the girl I've told you about," I heard Akihiko say as I entered the dimly lit Station. Minato and Junpei had some kind of singing contest to attend to just overhead, along with a few other guys, and right now Junpei was singing the high part in a really gay-sounding song. Earlier I had promised them to meet them after I was finished with business here.

The cop Akihiko was talking to a few seconds ago studied me. I squirmed a bit under his gaze.

"I was waiting for you," Akihiko was saying. "This is Officer Kurosawa. He keeps our squad well-equipped." "Of course, nothing in life is free, not even weapons used to thrash Shadows," Officer Kurosawa added bluntly.

"Oh, but…" I trailed off. How could I tell them that I was flat _broke_ at the moment?

Suddenly, Akihiko moved closer to me. "…You don't need to buy anything now. Just take a look around." "Look around?" I asked, confused. He ushered me to a room on the left, and clicked on the lights. I found myself staring at what looked like more weapons than the number of people in Japan. I turned to him. "Uh, where do I start?"

--

Akihiko and I left the Station together in silence. He went on ahead because he needed to do something, while I helped myself to a bench in one corner of the Mall, waiting for Minato and Junpei beside a fountain. That's when I heard the voice.

"Hello, dear…" I turned and stared.

The woman who had plopped down beside me was wearing a dress with yellow, smiling sunshine all over it. She was as wide as two seats put together. She had on her lap a giant shopping bag. And her breath smelled like pickles. "Greetings, old friend," she said in a strange accent. "…Who the heck are you?" I asked, trying to move my nose away from the smell.

"Call me… Madame," she introduced dramatically. "I see all and know all. And I'm aware of the fact that you're going through something amazing, girl!"

"…Really," was my less-than-enthusiastic reply.

Madame had a very smug look on her face. "And I know what you're gonna say next, you bet!"

Yeah, sure she did. I decided to challenge her. "What?"

She handed me a little piece of paper. In it was one word: "What?"

"Did I know, or did I know?" She demanded.

I just nodded. Why do these things keep happening to me?

"So!" Madame said, getting down to business. "What's eating you, dear?" "If you 'see all and know all', then how come you don't know that already?" I replied. "Don't get snippy with me, girl," Madame huffed. "Maybe I left my crystal ball at home. Maybe your forehead is too oily for my sensitive fingertips. Maybe I don't say anything everything I know. So I would appreciate it very much if you would answer my question, please."

That was an awful lot of maybes…

"Everything I'm expecting isn't the same anymore," I sighed after a few minutes. "And the more information I get, the more confused _I_ get…"

"In that case, take my card," Madame said, and handed me a little black card that said,_ "Sees all and knows all! Wishes and promises you a splendid day! Club Escapade, 2__nd__ floor. It's in the stars!"_ Tch, yeah, right!

I looked up to give it back to that crazy old lady.

She was gone.

How could some fat lady like her sneak away without me noticing, anyway?


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: Yes! CHAPTER 12! I'm so tired I could sleep for a week! But, if I slept for a week, I wouldn't be able to update this fanfic. New questions have been added to the FAQ section of my bio, so make sure to check it out!

**TWELVE: THE SECOND FULL MOON**

"_Don't be afraid. Embrace your power, but not so much that it becomes something you desire more of."_

"_Why are you telling me this? Who are you? Where am I? Why can't I just close my eyes and dream like a normal person… without fear, without doubts, without uncertainty?"_

"_I… I see only you… I will always watch over you… always…"_

"_That isn't… an answer…"_

"_I'm sorry, but it's the only thing I can tell you… the only thing I can promise you."_

"_Then tell me one more thing… tell me you'll keep them safe… I don't want them to get hurt. I don't want to be alone."_

"_You aren't alone. You never will be."_

--

A few weeks have passed since I met Madame. It was a little past eleven, and I was in my room, lying in my bed in the dark. And even though my body was tired, my mind was wide awake. I know it's a little uncool of me, but I was actually planning to see her when I got the chance. Masuhiro, Elizabeth, Igor… they give me bits and pieces, but nothing more. And those dreams keep coming. I'm not the type to be easily bothered by a dream, but these dreams were different. I needed answers, dammit!

And, there was still one question I really wanted answered. Two, actually.

Why and how was I brought to the Persona 3 world? And how could I get back home?

The senpais were finally beginning to trust me, and Ikutsuki cracked jokes around me a lot more often. All of them, everyone in SEES were really trying to help me fit in. They were the best group of friends a girl could have. I wish I could tell them how much I appreciated it, but I have so many secrets to hide from them…

And that's what scared me. I actually thought of them as my _friends_. They weren't even real people! They're only… characters in a game, right? Just characters in a game…

Just then, somebody knocked on my door, loud and sharp. I tensed up a bit from the sudden noise. Struggling to my feet, I shuffled over to my door and opened it.

"Hey, Takeba," Akihiko greeted. He quickly scanned me from head to foot. "You were sleeping already?" (I'm wearing pajamas) "No, not really," I answered truthfully. "I was just… thinking about stuff." "That's great, because apparently Mitsuru just found something," Akihiko said. I scratched my head. "What something?" I asked.

"One of _them_," he emphasized grimly.

--

Junpei, Minato and I were standing in front of our senpais in the air-conditioned Control Room. I shifted weight uncomfortably. Even though I know what's happening, I was still really nervous. Mitsuru cleared her throat. "I have detected a Shadow outside Tartatus' vicinity," she announced. "Is that possible?" Junpei asked. "It doesn't matter where you are- where there's Dark Hour, there's Shadows," Akihiko said.

"But there's something I don't understand, either," Minato suddenly spoke. "Mitsuru-senpai… I thought you couldn't scan outside Tartarus. And it isn't even Dark Hour yet."

Mitsuru nodded at his remark. "I used a special instrument for scanning outside Dark Hour. As for how I was able to detect the Shadow in question… It's _that powerful_."

I gulped. "So… we have to check it out, right?"

"Of course," Akihiko replied and pulled his glove tighter. "And I'm going, too!"

I glanced at Mitsuru. From the looks of her face I could tell that she had planned a different task for our confident senpai. A task far, far more dangerous…

"Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman."

I stifled a giggle. Minato pretended to cough, and Junpei snorted. So dangerous! Akihiko's jaw dropped. "Wha? You gotta be kidding me! I'm going!" "Akihiko, they'll fare better than you in your current condition. And your priority is to rest. Have faith in them- they're ready," Mitsuru reasoned.

Akihiko sighed. "Oh, all right…" Mitsuru turned to us. "I detected the Shadow at the Iwatodai station. Are you ready?" "Of course," Minato said. Junpei shrugged. "We'll just kick ass like normal." "Then you three go on ahead, I'll meet you there," Mitsuru commanded.

So, the three of us trooped out of the Control Room. I had taken 2 steps when I realized something horrible.

I was still wearing my pajamas!

--

"La, la, la! I love Lou, oh yes I do, I don't love anyone as much as I love Lou, when she's gone, I get so blue, oh my Lou- I love you…!" Junpei sang loudly. Minato and I groaned in unison. "Oh, c'mon! You're listening to a hit song! At least enjoy it!" Junpei said good-naturedly.

We were waiting for Mitsuru in front of the tracks, and Junpei had been singing that song the whole time, over and over again.

The "hit song" he was talking about was actually the song that helped him win that singing contest a few weeks ago. I think It's called, "I love Lou". And do you know how many points he got for singing that song at full blast?? He got a freaking 100! I'm serious! But Minato explained later that the only reason why he had such a high score was that Junpei practically shouted into the super-sensitive microphone. Figures…

We were forced to put up with Junpei's singing for a full half hour, and when Dark Hour finally arrived, he was still singing! I kept looking around- you never know what kind of Shadows are attracted by off-keys.

"You looney goon," I mumbled.

Junpei stopped singing abruptly. "Don't you mean looney toon?"

"No. I meant looney goon."

"No, Yuka-tan, it's looney toon. T-O-O-N"

"Actually, I meant a looney goon. J-U-N-P-E-I"

"…Wait a minute!"

Before he could reply, Mitsuru came riding up on her motorcycle, parking in front of us. "Whoa- I thought stuff don't work during Dark Hour," Junpei said. Mitsuru smiled. "It's special."

Turning to Minato, she added, "You're in charge from here."

Junpei's mouth dropped. "Him again?"

_You… you Yasunuga… dare defy… reap your… simple girl… suffer… respect us…_

Huh? What was that? I turned away from my teammates and strained my ears. It was so soft, it was like thoughts. I tried closing my eyes.

_You, you Yasunuga… not worthy to approach us. You dare defy us? May you reap your worthless prize. Simple earth girl... We will not tolerate the likes of you. We have already lost one of us. You have already lost your innocence. May you suffer, and learn to respect us._

Those whispers were so...cruel. And cold. Who was saying those things? It couldn't be Orpheus. His voice was kinder... and oddly reassuring and wonderful.

"Yukari? Not another dizzy spell…"

I turned and saw Minato's face fixed with worry. "It's nothing," I assured him. "Hey! What're you guys waiting for?" Junpei called from the tracks. Minato ran ahead. I followed closely behind, but I kept looking over my shoulder, half expecting to see whoever said those things. I saw no one.

What were those whispers?


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3

I want to thank everyone who always reads this fanfic. Without you, I woudn't be here tonight...

**THIRTEEN: MINATO SPEAKS, STUPEI RUNS OFF**

The air, the atmosphere… it was cold. I was sweating, but even so a chill crept up my spine. All three of us ran down the tracks in absolute silence. The moon was big and round, and was the only thing that shone, as usual.

We paused just outside the back car of the train, near a ladder. "I know I keep telling you this, but be careful," Mitsuru's voice said from our transceivers. "Can you detect anything?" Minato asked. "The Shadow is somewhere on that train, I believe. But other than that, nothing," Mitsuru replied, the worry in her voice evident. "All right then," Minato turned to us. "Let's go." He grabbed the ladder and climbed, hoisting himself through the open doorway. Junpei followed.

I was about to climb up too, when suddenly-

_Come… come to me… Hurry…_

I paused at the bottom and whipped my head around. That voice again. Or maybe I was going mad… I've been hearing a whole lot of whispers lately, after all. I tried to ignore what I was hearing. It soon proved to be a challenge.

_Come to me… Hurry, hurry…_

Inside, we instantly saw the black coffin that stood beside the doorway to the next car. "So, this is a person that's been Transmogged?" Junpei asked no one in particular, moving closer to study it. "You betcha," Minato said.

I fumbled with my sword nervously. Any second now, a Shadow's gonna appear, Junpei's gonna run off, and the train's gonna move.

But, surprisingly, no Shadow appeared like I predicted. Everything seemed fine. Junpei was still studying the coffin, and Minato was talking on his transceiver.

Maybe we're gonna skip all that and finish this mission in a jiffy!

Vain hopes.

"Yukari?" Minato suddenly called out. I looked at him expectantly. "Yeah?"

Minato moved closer, his voice barely above a whisper to avoid letting Junpei overhear his next words. "I… I need to talk to you about something."

Why did he look so nervous?

I waited patiently for him to continue. He seemed to have a hard time finding the right words.

"Well… what do you think of Mitsuru-senpai?" Minato asked finally. I had the vague suspicion that this wasn't what he wanted to talk about_ exactly._ "I think she's a cool upperclassman who definitely does her homework," was my unhurried answer.

"No, not that," Minato said, shaking his head. "I mean…um, don't you think it's weird?"

I stared blankly at him, confused. He hurried to explain, "Don't you think it's weird that she was able to detect a Shadow, even though it wasn't Dark Hour yet?" "But she used some kind of instrument to find it," I replied. "She said so herself, remember?"

An uncomfortable pause.

"….Yukari?"

"Yeah?"

Another uncomfortable pause.

"…Do you think she's telling us the truth?" Minato demanded softly. I blinked, surprised. "Of course she's telling the truth! She's our senpai! Our Support!"

"Then, is that what you think? Because, if you ask me, I don't think we heard the whole story here. In fact, I strongly suspect that she's intentionally keeping us in the dark." Minato confessed, his expression darkening.

"Uh, hey," Junpei suddenly spoke. Minato and I looked up at him. He shrugged.

"I was just wondering… since this is an ordinary train and stuff, how come all the doors are wide open, even though this train isn't at the station yet?"

At that exact moment, a long, terrifying howl resounded through the night, through the train, which was empty except for us.

"EEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!"

The sudden noise made all three of us jump. "What the hell was that?!" Junpei cried.

And then, we heard a sound even more terrifying than that grotesque cry… The sound of the doors slamming tightly shut! One by one, they closed. _Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!_ And then the windows shut tight, all by themselves. _Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!_

Suddenly, the floor beneath us rocked back and forth violently. To our horror, the train started to move!

Frankly, I've always hated this part of the game.

We rushed around, trying to pry any of them open. None of the doors budged! "Damn!" Junpei cried. "I can't get one open!" "Mitsuru-senpai, we've got a serious problem on our hands," Minato reported gravely. Junpei gritted his teeth. "I thought stuff won't work during Dark Hour!"

"What's going on?!" Mitsuru demanded. "The train is moving!" I cried. "What if we crash against another train?!"

All of a sudden, a Muttering Tiara jumped down from somewhere, brushed past a confused Junpei who was still standing near the coffin, and escaped to the next car.

_Now_ you decide to show up, you stupid Shadow!

"Hurry! Let's go after it!" Junpei urged. "Wait," Mitsuru cautioned. "It's acting strange. Arisato, you're in charge. What do you think?" Before Minato could reply, however…

"I don't need your stinking advice!" Junpei broke in angrily. "I'm taking that Shadow down!" And with that, he ran off, leaving us behind. "Junpei!" Minato yelled after him.

We had no choice. We began to chase him, but suddenly, two Tiaras materialized behind us. "Go away, you creeps!" I cried. I immediately summoned Asparas (you DO remember I have this Persona, right? If you don't, reread chapter 10) to Bufu them out of the way. Minato ran up and finished them off with a few strokes of his sword.

"C'mon!" He yelled. But we were already running.

ROAR!

Past the door, we looked over our shoulders to see what made that noise.

Even more Tiaras. We stopped in our tracks to fight them. Right when we finished them off and made our way to the next car, two Laughing Tables and a Heat Balance were waiting for us. How the heck did all these Shadows fit in the train?!

"How long do we have until this train crashes into another train?!" Minato practically shouted into his tranciever. "I- I'll check!" Was Mitsuru's frantic reply.

Minato and I ran and ran, knocking back any Shadows that leaped at us. Finally. after the longest 2.42 minutes of my life, Mitsuru announced, "You have eight minutes!"

7:59...

"They're everywhere!" Minato yelled over the noise of slashing swords and Shadow squeals of pain. "We don't have time for these jokers," I agreed, stabbing a Tiara. It gave a little shriek of pain as it turned into a puddle of radioactive gunk.

So… we ran.

7:25...

We ran after Junpei, hoping he hadn't killed himself already.

7:01...

And, not far behind, a heckload of Shadows from nowhere followed in hot pursuit.

6:55...


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3

**FOURTEEN: WRATH OF THE PRIESTESS**

"Hurry. He needs you, and he needs you now. You'll find him in the next car," Orpheus' deep voice whispered somewhere in the depths of my body, and at the same time from somewhere outside. His sudden assistance sort of surprised me. I had no idea he had the power to sense things like Mitsuru's Penthesilia and Fuuka's Lucia.

In fact, I don't think he can do that at all! But now wasn't the time to argue with myself about Orpheus' skill improbabilities…

After sending the last Shadow in the room to hell, Minato rushed up to the door and kicked it open.

True to Orpheus' word, we found Junpei fighting against a pack of Shadows that were blocking the door to the next car. I'll never admit this to him as long as I live, but he _did_ look kinda heroic. But we helped him, anyway.

6:49…

After they were all defeated, Junpei fell to his knees in exhaustion, clutching his wounded stomach. "Oh, man…"

"Why did you do run off like that? You could have killed yourself!" Minato cried in a voice that was rapidly becoming a scream. I knelt beside Junpei on the dangerously rocking floor and checked a gash on his stomach. It wasn't deep, but it was ugly.

"Instead of yelling at him, why don't you do something more worthwhile like healing his wound?" I gently suggested to our pissed leader. Minato mumbled a curse under his breath and grudgingly walked over to his bleeding teammate's side, gripping his Evoker tightly.

6:22…

After Minato finished closing up Junpei's wound with Fairy (Persona's don't really heal, they only stop the wound from bleeding by sealing it up, much to my deductions), Mitsuru suddenly said,"I can detect a strong presence two cars away. It must be the Shadow!"

"Well, what are we waiting for!?" Junpei cried. Minato grabbed his arm before he could do or say anything else. "Not so fast," Minato hissed. "Remember what you said earlier? You've already got wounded once, and I've already wasted enough power to help you."

Junpei clamped his mouth shut and rolled his eyes. But at least this time he didn't run off.

6:01…

Past a row of coffins, we paused at the next door. We all exchanged glances before Minato shoved open the door. We all trooped inside…

…and came face to face with something big that stared down at us with spite.

The Priestess.

"…Is that it?" Junpei whispered to nobody in particular, even though the Shadow was looking directly at us and could hear everything we said. "Yes," I replied, keeping my eyes wide open just in case the Priestess did any sudden move to attack.

This time, it was Minato who skeptically asked, "How'd you know?"

I mentally slapped myself. Why, _why_ do I keep giving myself away like this?

"Um…because it's big, weird and ugly, and it's in the middle of the room," was my not-so-calm answer. Before he could say anything else, the Priestess let out a horrible, scratchy cry and attacked. We barely dodged it in time.

"Everyone- ATTACK!" Minato yelled. He didn't need to tell us twice!

5:41…

Without warning, the Priestess summoned a whole bunch of Tiaras. They easily knocked Junpei aside… and came after _me_.

HA! Idiots! I smirked and held my Gold Evoker in position.

My Asparas easily took care of the job with a few Bufu spells. But all of a sudden, Minato pulled me to his side- just as the Priestess tried to stab me with her thorny hair. "Be careful," he told me. "The Shadow wants to kill you first, if I'm not mistaken."

Huh?

At that moment, the Priestess summoned two Laughing Tables. They rushed at me so suddenly, I almost couldn't summon Orpheus to stop them, since Junpei was still on the ground, helpless and bleeding all over again. Nevertheless, the Tables came after _me_.

After Orpheus cleaned off the last Table, the Priestess suddenly shrieked in a vaguely human-sounding voice (more or less) something I couldn't understand. Or, at least, I thought I couldn't understand. Because soon, I was able to make out what the Shadow was saying.

"_Whither, dust to dust! Foolish Yasunuga, may you never see light again! Die!"_

4:50…

That again? Her screaming was really starting to get on my nerves.

And… who's Yasunuga?

I looked up just in time to see Orpheus attack the Priestess Shadow, ramming her with his lyre. For a split second, everything hazed over, and I dropped to my knees. Damn dizzy spell! I shook my head, trying to clear my head.

"Yukari! Look out!" I heard Minato shout fearfully.

I glanced up just in time to see Orpheus get knocked away, and the Priestess's horn-like hair (maybe her 'hair' is really horns, I don't know) coming right for me with uncharacteristic speed, aimed directly at my throat. "Yikes!" I yelped and jumped away.

The hair/horns smashed against the wall with so much force, the impact rocked the ever-speeding train and made a gigantic hole.

4:22…

What kind of shampoo does this Priestess use?

Uh, what I meant was… Minato was right. The Priestess Shadow and all her summoned underlings really _were_ coming after me! Why?! What did I ever do to deserve this assault?!

All of a sudden, Minato struck the Priestess with his rapier with more strength than ever, successfully knocking the Queen of Ugliness off balance. Minato gave Junpei, who had finally recovered, and I the thumbs-up sign. "All-out Attack!" He yelled.

But before we could, the Priestess' deadly locks smashed a large opening in the roof. We all ducked to avoid the flying debris. We looked up just in time to see her as she slipped her hair through the hole and pulled herself up through the roof.

3:59...

"Damn! She got away!" Junpei yelled angrily. "Don't worry- she's not getting away!" Minato said determinedly before turning to me. "Yukari, it's up to you to take that Shadow down. The opening's too high, but Junpei and I may be able to give you a boost."

"But what about you guys?" I demanded. NO WAY am I gonna fight that Priestes alone if she really wants me dead first! "We'll try to stop the train," Minato replied. I couldn't say no.

I stood on the boys' shoulders. ",Don't look up," I ordered. And just incase you don't remember, I'm wearing a skirt.

I couldn't reach the ledge. I tried jumping. On my second jump (poor Junpei and Minato), I was able to grab the ledge. Down below, Minato and Junpei stepped back while I kicked and wiggled my way on top of the moving train's roof.

I gasped for breath. I nodded at them. They took the sign and ran inside the control room.

After regaining my balance and my breath, I stood with trembling knees on the train's roof. The train itself seemed to speed up, too.

3:40...

Waiting for me on top of the next car was the Priestess.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**WARNING!**

_The following chapter contains incredibly violent action scenes that have been performed in a closed section of Iwatodai by highly-trained, professional, licensed stunt doubles._

_If you have high blood pressure, scare easily, have some sort of train phobia, or go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning, we politely ask that you do not attempt to battle "giant Shadows", "evil Priestesses", "ugly Priestesses", or any relating to the said obnoxious children's fantasies on the tops of speeding trains at home, even if you have recently signed a contract with a velvety cover, or have acquired the amazing ability to summon and control multiple "Personas"._

_Such irresponsible behavior could result in serious "boo-boos"._

_Thank you for your cooperation._

**FIFTEEN: THE END?**

"_I'm astounded that you came after me yourself,"_ The Priestess sneered. _"Haven't my_ _attacks taught you something?"_

Um… no. Not really.

"_Are you really that brave? Or is it stupidity? What drives you to protect lives as meaningless as they are, to struggle so for the sake of humanity?"_

Without thinking, I retorted, "I struggle so humanity is safe from monsters like you!"

The Priestess threw back her head, laughing. As she did, I saw her neck. The flesh was bloody, decaying. Small white worms wriggled ceaselessly through her skin.

_Yuck!_ I thought. Hasn't she ever heard of skin care?!

"_Me, a monster?"_ the Priestess cackled. _"It is you humans who destroy this world. They lie, steal, sell their souls, and pollute the air so much that the stars themselves hide away in order to survive! It is you humans who created Us… we are merely fulfilling our duty as creations to destroy like how you do!"_

She paused to laugh again before adding, _"It is our duty to cleanse this polluted world with Death! The Fall will come… no one will escape… especially you, Yasunuga!"_

"Oh, shut up!" I cried, completely pissed off by her nonsense (_was _it nonsense?). "You keep babbling like you know everything! And another thing… quit it with the 'Yasunuga' crap!"

My angry hollering did it. It made the Priestess angry, too. She shrieked a battle cry and launched herself at me with blinding speed.

3:01…

"Takeba, do you read me?! Arisato told me what was going on!" Mitsuru's voice rang from my transceiver, alarmed. "You only have three minutes to stop that Shadow from causing further harm! Be careful!"

Great… like I wasn't pressured enough! What could I possibly do in a freaking 3 minutes, huh?!

…Did I already mention how much I hated this part of the game?

"_DIE!! DIE!!"_ The Priestess screamed, every horn-like strand on her head whipping out all at once to stab me clean.

It took all of my concentration and reflexes to avoid her constant charges.

An extra-pointy horn came at me from the left. I jumped away just in time, but it made a small hole. Boy, are we gonna hear all about this on tomorrow morning's news! Maybe it's gonna be like, 'PASSENGERS HORRIFIED TO FIND DAMAGE ALL OVER TRAIN' or some other front-page title that conveyed the message.

…That is, _if_ I survive tonight.

Wait a minute! What am I talking about? OF COURSE I was going to survive!

But deep in my heart, I wasn't so sure.

The Priestess' attacks seemed to get faster and faster, more and more determined to end my life.

I jumped to the left. _Slash!_ I dodged to the right. _Stab!_

With every missed hit, the impact rocked the car dangerously, side to side. I almost lost my balance and fell over the side of the speeding train. C'mon, Minato, Junpei- stop the train! Stop it!

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn't see the doomed lock of hair that was aimed directly at my throat.

"Look out!"

2:33…

At the sudden cry, I finally saw the horror. The situation had become so terrifying that I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the sickening sounds of my own inevitable demise. But instead of the inevitable demisey-type of sounds I was expecting, something else happened. My eyes were still tightly closed when it happened.

Someone shoved me out of the way at the last second. I stumbled and fell a little to the side of the train's rooftop, unceremoniously on my hiney. Ouch!

Feeling like the biggest dork in the universe, I finally opened my eyes, expecting to see either Minato or Junpei. But my mysterious savior was neither. At first, I was scared. But then I saw the shiny, silvery lyre he was holding, and the long, red scarf he was wearing. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was Orpheus, The Master of Strings. He had smashed away the danger. The Priestess paused, baffled by his sudden appearance.

That sounds nice and normal of a Persona to come to its master's rescue, right?

But one thing definitely does qualify as strange, let me tell you. In case you haven't noticed yet, I didn't _summon_ him. He just popped up and came to my rescue at that drastic moment. Weird.

"_How dare you?!"_ The Priestess screamed. And if looks could kill, she probably would've burned two searing holes in Orpheus' hide by now by her evil stare. In a flash, she summoned five Muttering Tiaras.

"Them again?" I yelled at the Priestess. Didn't she learn _her_ lesson yet?

2:09…

I positioned the Gold Evoker on my temple, preparing myself to summon Asparas. But

then Orpheus turned and gave me a look as if to say, _wait_. I hesitated, and returned his gaze with my own skepticism. Why did he do that? What's the deal?

He turned back to the enemy and faced the Tiaras that slowly advanced.

Wait… don't tell me he's gonna try taking them down! They block against even the strongest Agi attacks, even ones as powerful as his. I could easily remember how he easily fried that giant Shadow on the dorm's roof just a month ago. But what good would that do against them?

He positioned his lyre as the Tiaras came closer and closer, hissing and snarling. Suddenly, the Master of Strings played a loud, clear note that easily drowned out the noises the Tiaras made. Strange, shiny spheres suddenly closed in on the Tiaras and the Priestess, seemingly disappearing inside them. The Shadows hesitated for a split second before advancing once more, and the Priestess was readying her assault.

What kind of move was that?

1:47…

The next seven seconds can only be described as total blazing chaos.

That one move, I had realized, was Fire Break, which nullified all enemy Shadows' ability to be ineffective by Agi skills. After that, Orpheus began playing that complicated song again, except it was one note lower than I remembered. All the Tiaras, and the Priestess herself, suddenly exploded in a powerful, terrific Maragidyne that easily rivaled the beams of light the Dark Hour's full moon shone from up above.

Wow. The Master of Strings had done it again.

This, in my own opinion, was way more exciting than watching fireworks explode before your very eyes.

1:40…

The whole train's rooftop was a rotten, sooty mess by the time everything stopped. I quickly radioed to Mitsuru that I had succeeded in defeating the Priestess Shadow.

And then came the horrifying news. In the middle of Mitsuru's sentence, Minato's voice suddenly rang with pure terror, "The train isn't stopping!" "What? That's impossible!" Mitsuru cried. "Are the train's brakes on?" I demanded, remembering what had happened in the game. "Yeah," came Minato's shaky reply. "But since the train didn't stop, we thought that it would if the Priestess Shadow was defeated…" "I'll be there in a jiffy," I said into my transceiver.

Something was definitely wrong, alright. I suddenly had a queasy feeling in the pits of my stomach.

As I prepared to jump down the opening I had used to crawl out after the Priestess, something clammy wrapped itself around my ankle and yanked. My feet gave out from underneath me and I fell forward, flat on my face, the wind totally knocked out of my lungs. My transceiver came loose and skittered out of reach. Soon I was being dragged by the thing that had wrapped around my leg. Dragged closer and closer to the edge of the train! I looked up and glanced over my shoulder in horror at my leg.

One of the Priestess' remaining hair strands had come to life!

I kicked and screamed. Minato, Mitsuru and Junpei's alarmed voices rang out from my transceiver, but I couldn't answer them, and neither could they help me.

Soon, my legs and feet were dangling over the edge of the ever speeding train, just as it began to pass over a bridge that overlooked the ground that seemed a million miles away. I kicked one last time. The hair finally let go, falling towards the rocks below. The train suddenly jumped as it passed an uneven point, and I lost my grip. But I somehow managed to grab on to the edge of the train with my free hand. This was it. This was really it. After a few seconds of holding on, I finally lost my hold and I plunged down into my death.

_The End_


	17. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: I'd like to thank the following:

Hana Goldflower (always! I dedicated this story to you!)

Vastler75 (thanks for reviewing me lately!)

Mr. Thumbsup (one of the first people who reviewed me in the beginning)

Hillwise (for reviewing this story recently)

Gestalten (for giving me one of the most touching reviews ever, which I'll never forget.)

Alex Trabia (for giving me his opinion on what to do to make this fic more enjoyable)

…and all those who aren't a member of who cheer me on (my school!)

**SIXTEEN: NEVER ALONE, EVER AGAIN**

Just kidding.

I didn't _really_ plunge to my death, as all of you assumed. Just because it said:

"_The End"_

…doesn't mean I died. But enough rambling. I bet you guys are wondering _just what the heck exactly happened to me_!

Ok, so you all know that I was hanging on for dear life with one hand, clinging on to as hard as I could to the edge. But my fingers were slipping little by little.

_Slip!_ A centimeter.

_Slip!_ Another centimeter.

_Slip! _Yet another centimeter.

_Slip! _Half an inch.

Little by little, I was getting closer and closer to my doom. "Ohhh," I little terrified moan escaped from my lips. Then I made the mistake of looking down.

The ground seemed so far away, so far below. The sight of all that jagged rock and all else that had yet to be revealed by the full moon's green light terrified me. My stomach flip-flopped. Now I regretted looking down.

1:28…

After a few more slips, I was down to three fingers. I closed my eyes and prayed. Maybe this was all a bad dream or something.

But this was real. This was very dangerous reality.

Suddenly, the train jumped as it rode over an uneven part of the track, effectively causing me to lose my balance. "AAAAAHHHHH!!" I screamed with my eyes closed as I fell.

And then something unexpected happened.

A freezing cold hand grabbed my wrist and held tightly, stopping my fall. This hand held mine and helped me to my feet just like the time I was running for the dorm over a month ago. Exactly the same way.

My eyes instantly snapped open. I found myself staring up into the burning red orbs of my Persona. "Orpheus?" I squeaked in disbelief. His cold grip tightened. He narrowed his eyes.

"Hold on," he said.

"Wait!" I screamed up at him. "How did you do it?! How were you able to come out without me summoning you?! Just awhile ago… and now!" I know these aren't the best of circumstances to ask these kind of questions, but it just slipped out. I had no choice. I pressed on, "and how can you sense things?! How can you speak?! How can you hold my hand like this?!"

Orpheus made no reply. With a little grunt, he hoisted me back on top of the train. I was safe once more. Moral learned: even hair can have a mind of its own.

After catching my breath, I looked up at my silent, mysterious hero. He stared back. If you ask me, my own Persona was more of an enigma than my foes…

"Remember- keep a kind heart," he advised.

How could a Persona so wise like him be assigned to the Fool Arcana? How?

"Never alone, ever again. I shall walk by thee, and protect thou. I am always watching…"

With those words, he poofed up into a million tiny pieces of stardust that swirled around me and vanished. Strange, his speech tripped something in my mind. It darted past in an instant… and was gone. Troubled, I rubbed my forehead.

"Yukari?!" Minato's worried shout pierced through my thoughts. I got up and retrieved my transceiver. "Sorry for scaring you guys like that. I'm ok know," I said into it. "That's great, but we have a big problem on our hands. Junpei and I are waiting for you at the control room," Minato replied, sounding more relieved than he had ever sounded.

I jumped down the hole and landed painfully on my behind for the second time that night. Rubbing my derriere, I made my way over to my two other teammates, who were anxiously waiting for me.

0:59…

After I had explained what had happened, all three of us turned to the controls. According to Minato, the brakes were on, but the train wasn't slowing down.

So we got to work finding an emergency brake switch. Now, if I were a train engineer, where, oh where would I put the damned switch? Tapping my chin thoughtfully, I bent over to look under the panel.

"Well, what do you know," I said, pointing at the said switch. Junpei got down on his knees and crawled over in order to give it a good, hard whack. The train finally began to slow down.

…and with only 0:20 seconds left, we finished the mission. Out the window, we could easily see the next train in the distance. All three of us jumped out the back of the train, where we started and began to walk, but Minato doubled back to check something.

When he finally returned, he had a grim look on his face.

"The train's brakes are busted." He said.

"Wha? How is that possible?" Junpei demanded.

Minato looked at each of us one by one. "The Shadow did this. This whole fiasco was a trap… and we were led right to it!"

It was unbelievable. But the proof was what we experienced just now. Had the Priestess really led us here on purpose?

No, I realized with a shiver. The Priestess only wanted me. It tried to kill _me_.

I stopped walking. My mind hazed over, and the ground seemed to tilt. The two boys, who had gone off a certain distance, finally realized I was no longer with them.

"Yukari?" I heard Minato call out as I fell to the ground and whited out.


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**SEVENTEEN: ELYSIAN FIELDS**

"_Why is it always you? What's so special about you? Why are you the only one they ever see?"_

"_I… I don't understand you."_

"…_And you never, ever will."_

"_What? What's wrong?"_

"_Everything's wrong! It's always about you. You, you, you! I work just as hard, and what do I get? Nothing! Nothing!"_

"_But we were friends!"_

"_That's right. We __were__."_

"_We always will be! Please, open your eyes!"_

"_Just stop it! Stop your lies! I can't take it anymore! Shut up!"_

"_Someone's fogged your mind. But if you concentrate, you can see the truth!"_

"_What is the truth? What's there to believe? The proof is right there. I… I was always alone. But look at you! You've gotten stronger, better… you're completely different."_

"_But is this really the right thing to do?"_

"_Why do YOU care? What do you know about me? Why do you have everything? Why can't I have __anything__?"_

"_Wait, let me explain-"_

"_YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE!"_

_BANG!_

--

I jolted up from where I lay just a few seconds ago, screaming my head off, my whole body shaking violently. I couldn't get that nightmare out of my head. I couldn't stop myself from hearing that weird gunshot in my head again and again.

I screamed a few more times.

After I finally calmed down a bit- just a bit- I realized two things, which led to two questions.

One was: Where am I?

And the other was: Where are my friends?

I took deep, raspy breaths and quickly scanned my surroundings. Apparently it looked like I was in some kind of grassy field. It was a tad too bright, so I had to squint a little bit in order to keep my eyes from getting stung. Small, dark flowers grew in clusters here and there. It was grass and dark-colored flowers as far as the eye could see. I looked up at the sky. It was an amazing shade of blue, and there wasn't a single cloud in sight.

But that's when it got a little weird. I noticed that there wasn't any sun shining overhead. But how? It was as bright as a midsummer day! I looked down at myself and noticed the goose bumps on my leg. I shivered, realizing that it was as cold as winter out here. Strange…

I struggled to my feet, my knees wobbling.

"Are you alright?" A concerned voice asked from behind me. I whirled around and found myself face to face with… with… omigosh… OMIGOSH!

"Um, are you alright?" He repeated, though a little bit uncomfortably. Probably because I was staring so hard in disbelief at him. "Uhhh… yeah!" Was my late reply.

AAAHHH!! I _could not believe _what I was seeing!! EEEEE!

"I'm glad," he said sincerely, and flashed me a smile. An incredibly gorgeous smile. This guy, teenager, stranger or whatever he was- was an incredibly gorgeous male! I don't believe this! He could be a model or something!

He stepped back to have a look at me, a serious expression on his perfect face. And while he studied me, for whatever reason I don't pretend to know, I couldn't help but check him out myself.

His hair was silver; it framed his face and most of it fell over his right eye (think Minato's hairstyle), and was tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck, whose slightly curved tip reached the middle part of his back. He had a pair of the most amazing blue eyes I've ever seen, but they weren't piercing or anything. He looked about my age. He was wearing an ordinary, plain white T-shirt and jeans.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked me, still studying me intently. I shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze. "I have no idea," I said finally.

My turn to ask. "What is this place?" "You're standing in the Elysian Fields, in the center of infinity," He replied slowly, carefully, almost as if he wanted me to understand and comprehend fully. I scratched my head. "Center of infinity? You mean, the afterlife?" This idea suddenly left me feeling more chilled than the Elysian Fields' effect on me. He chuckled. "No, not exactly. How should I put this?" He paused, searching for the right words. "This place… exists neither here nor there. It's found in between life and the afterlife, between dreams and reality… _between mind and matter_."

"Wait," I said, not understanding. "Isn't the Velvet Room between mind and matter?" "The Elysian Fields are connected to the Velvet Room," he explained, gesturing towards a free-standing door I haven't noticed until now, which stood a few yards away. "The same way the two other Doors are connected to the Velvet Room. But of all three connections this particular Door is the closest."

As he led me to the Velvet Room door, he explained that it was called the Door of the Heart. There were two other Doors- one was the Door of the Mind, the one at Tartarus, which was connected to the Door on Igor's right. The other one- the Door of the Soul, was the one at Paulownia Mall, which was connected to the Door on Igor's left. The Door of the Heart itself was at the back of the Velvet Room, where Igor was always facing as he sat in the Velvet Room.

"I know it sounds confusing, but there's a reason why these Doors exist," he said. We were now standing in front of the Door. He stepped aside so I could try to open it. I grabbed the knob and tried to turn it- it didn't budge. I yanked and jiggled on it. No luck.

Never fear!

This time, I didn't forget my Velvet Key!

I tried it on the lock- surprisingly, it didn't fit. Hmmm…

"Unfortunately, that reason is still a mystery, even now," he said, finishing his earlier speech. I gave up trying to open the Door with an exasperated sigh.

I eyed him, my facial expression skeptic. He returned my gaze with studied innocence. He knew an awful lot about this… Who is he, anyway?

"What's your name?" I asked the handsome stranger. He was suddenly quiet. He stared down at his feet, as if he was thinking about something. Finally, after the longest time- "Kai. Call me Kai." "And I'm Yukari," I introduced, suddenly feeling proud of the fact.

"…I know."

"Huh?" I replied, gaping at him in surprise. "You do?"

"I've always known. Always..."

A stiff, awkward silence.

Suddenly, I remembered Minato and the others. They were probably worried sick about me. But, if I leave now, what if I can't come back? How _can_ I go back?

"All you need to do is lie down and fall asleep again. You'll find yourself back with your friends in no time," Kai said, answering my unspoken question.

I did as I was told. I closed my eyes- I immediately felt sleepy. Before I drifted off, I asked him:

"Kai… can I ever come back here?"

"Of course. Anytime. But don't worry… I'm always watching."

_I'm always watching…_


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3. I don't own Dirty Dancing, Raising Arizona, Patrick Swayze or Holly Hunter, either.

**EIGHTEEN: JUNPEI'S PLAN**

I stared at the blank sheet of paper positioned on my desk without really seeing it. It was an _ordinary_ school day. Yeah, right.

I was _supposed _to be doing my art (It's Art Class, of course), but I couldn't concentrate. Not when I had one of the most admittedly interesting as well as irritatingly confusing dreams I've ever had in my entire life! I glanced over my shoulder. Minato was literally bent over whatever he was drawing; Junpei seemed to be making a comic (which was clearly _not_ what we were supposed to do for Art). They didn't seem bothered in the least.

Unlike me. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop worrying. In the past, I never worried so much. I guess you can say I was a bit… carefree. But not so much like my jerk brother, of course.

When I finally awoke, around 1:00 in the morning, I found myself lying down on one of the couches in the dorm lounge, and everyone else was still awake, worrying about me. According to Mr. Ikutsuki, I was "moaning" in my sleep. I also kept tossing and turning. Moaning? Tossing and turning? Was I in some sort of pain? Was that dream a nightmare? When they asked me if I had dreamt of anything, I told them I hadn't. Which was a lie.

Was it possible… that being in the "Elysian Fields" could hurt me, cut me up clean, without me even realizing it? But I didn't feel anything when I was talking with Kai. I guess it's because I was in the "center of infinity" that I couldn't sense anything wrong. Even though it was a pretty weird place, it was actually very tranquil and calm.

Or maybe… maybe he purposely put some sort of a spell on me, so I wouldn't be aware of the danger I was in. Maybe he _wanted_ me to get hurt. I shook my head._ There I go again, letting my imagination run wild_. I just met the guy, dammit!

But… something about what he said to me before I left him and the Fields… seemed oddly familiar to me. I couldn't exactly put my finger on it, but…

Maybe it was the tone of voice he said it in, or maybe his choice of words. Whatever it was, it tripped something in my memory. I had the sudden feeling that I was overlooking something. Something important. What was it? I glanced over my shoulder at the two boys. Maybe I could tell them… or, maybe not. I didn't want them to worry too much. Maybe I should just tell it to Akihiko or Mitsuru, or maybe I should-

"Ahem… Takeba-san? You haven't started yet." I looked up and saw the teacher standing over my desk. A lot of students glanced up from their work to gawk at me. I felt my face grow warm. I knew I was blushing. "S-sorry, ma'am," I apologized.

As she walked away, I tried to concentrate on my art.

Yet, once again, my thoughts drifted to the two most mysterious people I've ever known.

Masuhiro Furushiki. Kai.

Little did I know that they had the power to change everything…

--

"Yukari? Yukari?"

I looked up at the worried teen. A dizzy spell had struck again. "Sorry," I apologized for the fourth time that day. Minato shook his head. "Stop scaring me like that."

The boys and I were hanging out at Naganaki Shrine. School had ended about an hour ago. The sun was just beginning to set, and the air felt peaceful and calm… almost as peaceful and calm as the Elysian Fields. It was a beautiful afternoon, and here we were with a lot of nothing to do. How boring.

Minato sighed loudly. "Sometimes I envy them." Junpei scratched his head. "Who?" "Them," Minato replied, matter-of-factly. "Them…who?" I asked him.

"Them! All of them!" Minato said finally after a pause. "All of those people who don't know a thing about Dark Hour, Shadows, Tartarus, Personas, Evokers…" "What do you mean?" I asked him, shifting in my seat on one of the swings. "It's just that, sometimes I wish I wasn't burdened with… those kind of problems," Minato said delicately. "In fact, sometimes I wish I didn't have a Persona. I've already got a lot to deal with and-"

Suddenly, Minato's cellphone started to ring. Two people began to belt out some really high chords. "Aaaa, aaaah, aaaaaaaah…" They sang. Even though it didn't have any lyrics or whatever, it sounded pretty nice. Minato flipped open his cellphone and brought it to his ear. "Hello?" After a few seconds of listening, he mouthed to us "I'm going over there," and took his phone call some few yards away from where Junpei and I were swinging back and forth on swings for privacy. His facial expression was unusually thoughtful and troubled as he talked quietly into his phone.

I moved closer to Junpei, lowering my voice to ask, "Do you know who Minato's talking to right now?" I mentally slapped myself for sounding overly curious. But I am curious! "No, not exactly," Junpei replied. "But I think he's talking to the doctor."

"What doctor?"

"Minato told me to keep it a secret, but… his mom's really sick right now. She's being kept in a hospital at the place Minato used to live."

"…Huh? He never said anything to me about that before…"

"..Minato said that he didn't want anyone to worry."

I glanced back at the serious teen. He was still talking on the cellphone. His expression slowly changed into surprise, bewilderment, and… anger? What happened? His voice was beginning to rise. It got loud enough for Junpei and me to hear little snatches of his sentences. He really _did_ sound a bit angry. But why?

"What? How can… but I never… but it isn't… nobody…even got one… are sure?"

--

"…What are you guys staring at?" Minato asked us when he finally ended the call. He slowly lowered his slender frame on to the bottom of the kiddie slide for a seat.

Junpei and I stole glances at each other. "Er, we were just talking about the mission yesterday," he began nervously. Junpei's sudden uneasiness made me wonder if Minato threatened him into secrecy, or something. Minato looked at us suspiciously. "What exactly?" "How I almost got killed," I said quickly. I decided to give Junpei a break. He really looked uncomfortable.

Minato visibly relaxed. But he still had a strange, angry light in his eyes.

"And you know what?" Junpei said, standing up. "I totally agree with you. You know, about the whole, 'the people who don't know anything about Tartarus and Shadows' story." Minato crossed his arms over his chest. He looked at Junpei doubtfully. "Your point?"

"What I'm trying to say is… let's take a break!" Junpei said enthusiastically. "C'mon, it'll be fun! Let's treat ourselves to a healthy, invigorating event!" "What's on your mind?" Minato asked, grinning. The last traces of anger slowly faded away from his face.

Thank goodness.

"Well… what do you say to … Game Panic at Paulownia Mall?" Junpei suggested slyly. "Figures," I groaned. Minato rolled his eyes. "If that's your way of scoring some free cash from me just so you can shake your butt on DDR, it isn't working."

"Well, alright, what do you say to a little… dungeon-crawling? Tartarus, anyone? Let's go tonight!" Junpei said. Minato gaped at his best friend. "Are you serious? Have you forgotten that Yukari was almost _killed_ yesterday??" Junpei just shrugged. "All we're gonna do is run around on the lower floors and smash some pushover Shadows. You know, blow off some steam." Minato shook his head. "I don't believe you…"

Suddenly, something clicked in my brain (not literally!). I smiled. "You know what? I think I _like_ Junpei's idea!" I said agreeably. Minato's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding, right?" "Nope!" I said with enough brightness to light up a city block. "Let's go tonight!" Junpei said happily.

Minato put up his hands to stop us. "Uh-uh. NO WAY. I'm the leader of the Shadow operations, and I _command you_ to _not_ push through with that plan. There's NO WAY are we going tonight." "Then let's go _tomorrow night_," I suggested. "We'll be all rested up by then." "Please?" Junpei begged. Minato rolled his eyes again. "Fine."

Junpei and I slapped high-fives. Score!

Now I have the chance to get some answers!

The last time I saw Masuhiro, he was at Tartarus. Who knows- he just might be still there! Tomorrow's the perfect chance!

And… maybe he can tell me a little something about Orpheus' strange behavior. Maybe.

"As for tonight… let's just rent a movie," I heard Junpei say.

--

"What movie did you get?" I asked the boys as they exited the video store. "…Junpei got 'Raising Arizona'," Minato said. My mouth dropped open in horror. Back in the real world, my stupid brother had watched that movie a billion times, and I was horrified to discover that 'Raising Arizona' had made its way to rental stores in Japan.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed. I felt like throwing up.

"So?" Junpei said innocently, even though his facial expression was anything but innocent. "Holly Hunter's in it. She's a babe."

I rolled my eyes all the way to Jupiter. "Oh, _that's_ a reason."

"Get used to it," Minato advised.

Junpei looked down at his feet. "Oh, crap," he sighed. "My shoelaces got loose again."

He handed the video to Minato to hold while he bent down to tie his shoe. While he was busy doing that, Minato checked the video. "Uh, Junpei?"

"Yeah?"

"…This isn't 'Raising Arizona'. It's 'Dirty Dancing'."

"What?" Junpei gasped. I snatched the video right out of Minato's hands and checked to make sure. It really _was_ 'Dirty Dancing'. Junpei straightened. "Let's go back and change it," he urged. He tried to get the video, but I waved it away, out of reach. "Not a chance," I said. "I want to watch it." Junpei rolled his eyes. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"So?" I said. "Patrick Swayze is in it."

"Oh, _that's_ a reason." Junpei grumbled.

Minato just smiled. "Get used to it," he advised.


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**NINETEEN: ELIZABETH'S REQUEST 2**

At Tartarus the next night, I stopped in front of the Door of the Mind and fumbled for the Velvet Key. After finding it in my skirt pocket, I was just about to pop it in the doorknob when the Door itself suddenly opened. Elizabeth slowly poked her head out.

"Yukari," she said, almost as if she had been waiting a long time for me. Her eyes were glinted with a desperate, scared light.

"Um, is there something wrong?" I asked her. "I'm so glad you came," Elizabeth whispered. She looked over her shoulder at the Velvet Room and turned back to me. "I have a rather urgent request for you. I hope you don't mind."

"Don't worry about it," I whispered back. "By the way… why can't we talk about this in there?" If you ask me, she was really beginning to scare me.

Elizabeth briskly shook her head. "No, we can't. You see…" She thought for a minute, seemingly hesitant to say the next words. But she pressed on, "… I need you to find a document," she explained slowly.

"…Document?"

"Indeed. And not an ordinary one, either."

"Why?" I asked her softly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Minato watching me. I waved at him; Elizabeth did the same.

"Well, this document is actually a page from the Persona Compendium Book, and without it, information is incomplete," Elizabeth admitted after she had finished waving. "And if my master finds out about this…"

"Ah," I murmured, understanding. "And that's why you asked me out here."

She smiled, then said, "Thank you, Yukari. I believe you can find it somewhere in Tartarus. And please, hurry. Sometimes my master shall check the Persona Compendium to see if every thing is intact. I am afraid of what might happen should he find out a page is missing…"

"Um, Elizabeth?"

"Yes? Is there any questions?"

"Um, what exactly is on that page?"

"…A Persona."

"Oh."

"Alright, wait here," Elizabeth said. She quickly shut the door. A few seconds later, she popped out again and handed me, or to be more precise, shoved in my hands, a small bow. Then she snatched away my sword.

"Huh?" I cried. "But why?" I _loved_ that sword, dammit!

"Trust me, you'll find this very useful tonight," she said mysteriously.

Once again, she slammed the door in my face, and that was the end of that.

--

"Alright! Let's get started!" Junpei yelled gleefully when we warped to 5th floor. He hopped out of the Access Point and quickly scanned the area. "Wow! I've never been here in a long time!"

Minato and I groaned in unison.

"Let's save the guided tour for next time, alright?" Minato suggested dryly.

"And… weren't we just here last week?" I reminded him.

Suddenly, our respective transceivers crackled to life. "Be careful," Mitsuru radioed. "I sense an exceptional surge coming from a few floors above you, but I don't know if they're as strong as those Shadows you fought there last month."

Minato touched the little black button on the transceiver. "Keep us updated," he ordered.

"Roger."

We made our way towards the other side of the Guardians' floor. "Alright, keep your eyes open for anything suspicious," Minato said. He glanced at me; I nodded my head in a silent thank-you. I knew what he was really saying. He actually meant, "Keep your eyes open for strange documents" or something else that conveyed the same message. Junpei looked to the right.

"Uh, dude. By 'suspicious', do you mean like that yellow box thing over there?" Junpei asked, pointing at a Rare Chest.

After grabbing its contents (some sweet looking gloves to make Akihiko jealous) we ran up the stairs and battled the Muttering Tiaras that jumped out at us. Or, to be more exact, Junpei and Minato battled them while I wasted my time trying to get a clear shot with my bow and arrow.

Dammit… how the heck is this stuff supposed to be useful, Elizabeth?!

While Minato was busy cleaning off the last Tiara, Junpei glanced at me and commented, "You're… not so great with that thing, aren't you?"

I blushed. "Let's see _you_ try," I muttered.

On 7th floor, Minato said, "Have you at least taken some lessons?" when he saw me struggling with my weapon.

"That's it," I sighed in defeat. "I'm using my Persona instead."

"Using a bow is ethical. Thee must learn to use it properly and efficiently in order to achieve wider knowledge in arms," Orpheus reasoned in my head, sounding undeniably serious with just a little trace of amusement.

…_You're just doing that to mess with me, aren't you Orpheus?_

"No. It is the truth that thou must embrace," Orpheus replied, matter-of-factly.

Great. Just what I need. My own Persona _lecturing me_.

"Yukari?" Minato waved a hand in front of my face. I blinked. "What?"

"You're really making me worry," he said. "You always seem to be having those weird dizzy spells, and… who were you talking to?"

I shifted my weight nervously. "Um, nobody," I mumbled.

--

On 8th floor, we decided to take a break. That is, Minato and I took a break while Junpei went off to beat up some Laughing Tables by himself. I fiddled with my bow, trying to make sense of its use. I made a silent vow to _not_ use this ever again.

"Uh, Yukari?"

I looked up from my damned weapon. "What is it?"

For some reason, he looked really tense. "There's something I need to tell you," he began, polishing the blade of his rapier with the hem of his uniform. "It's… well… you remember what happened yesterday, right? You know, the phone call?"

I nodded. Minato immediately stopped polishing his weapon. "…That was my mother's doctor," he said. "He says that I can visit her now that she's been moved out of extensive care, and I plan on visiting this Golden Week."

I smiled. "That's great news!" I said, playfully punching his arm. Minato smiled back, but it didn't last long. "But the doctor said that she has been writing letters to me." I cocked my head a little to the side, waiting to hear more.

He took a deep breath and continued, "and I haven't received a single letter. Not one."

I boggled. "Huh? How is that possible? She used a stamp, right?"

He shrugged. "The doc says that she's already sent me nineteen of them." His expression darkened. "But what I don't understand is why she would hide my mother's letters away from me."

"Wait a minute," I said, holding up my hands to stop him. "She? How do you know it's a she?" "Because I think it's Mitsuru senpai," Minato replied. "She's always checking up on me. Always asking me where I'll be and what I'll be doing."

I frowned. "I don't see how that makes her a suspect." I didn't know why I suddenly felt like I had to stick up for her. I just felt that way. "And another thing," I continued. "What would those letters have that Mitsuru-senpai – or anyone else for that matter – could possibly want?"

Minato just shrugged again. "If it's not her, it has to be someone. And I'm going to find out what it is." His eyes bored into mine. "You'll help me, right?"

Suddenly, we heard Junpei give a shout.


	21. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY: THE"FUN" BEGINS**

Minato and I jumped from Junpei's sudden shout.

Strangely, he sounded really, really far away from us. Like a million miles away.

Minato seemed to notice it, too. "Mitsuru-senpai! Can you sense where Junpei is? Because I don't think he's on the same floor as Yukari and me," he asked.

After a moment, Mitsuru gasped loudly. "What is it?" Minato demanded. "I detect Iori higher in the Tower… and 3 unidentified Shadows!" Mitsuru replied, sounding a little shaky. "He could be seriously injured! Get to him immediately!"

Just how far had Junpei gone, anyways?

"Can you at least try to contact him?" Minato was saying.

While Minato was busy on his receiver with Mitsuru, my Persona had something to say as well. "I sense him two floors above thee," Orpheus reported. _Really? _I asked him silently. _How __do__ you sense things, anyway?_

"…" Orpheus made no reply.

…_Never mind. But thanks for the help. _I said. I took a deep breath and walked up to the distracted navy haired teen.

--

"Huh?" Minato gasped after I had talked to him. "10th floor? But how can you be so sure?"

I shrugged. "I just am." I nudged his arm. "C'mon, Minato-kun," I urged. He shook his head. "We have to search every floor we come across," he said. "We can't just run up to 10th floor without making sure Stupei isn't there."

"Er… I guess," I reluctantly agreed. I wondered why I couldn't just tell him that Orpheus had said so. I guess I just didn't feel like saying anything.

"So let's go," Minato said.

After locating the stairs and reaching the next floor, we desperately searched the long, twisted halls for any sign of our lost comrade.

And at the same time, I kept my eyes open for any pale-blonde teenage boys with golden eyes. Masuhiro… where are you? I have so much to ask you...

--

Finally, after a full fifteen minutes, when we hit the landing on 10th floor, Junpei almost immediately appeared, running full speed towards us. "MOMMY!" He screamed, his arms outstretched. Junpei dived towards us. I suppressed the urge to gag and I stepped to the side at the last minute. Unfortunately, Minato wasn't as quick.

_Glomp!_

"Argh!" Minato cried awkwardly as Junpei caught him in a deadly, bone-crushing hug. Both boys tumbled to the floor, Junpei still clinging to poor Minato, sobbing.

I looked up just in time to see the 3 unidentified Shadows Mitsuru was talking about.

Two giant Hands and a Raven.

(A/N: Feel free to play the song 'Master of Tartarus' in the background in order to emphasize the dreadful horror of this terrorizing moment. Just search it on Youtube. And let it play while reading the rest of this chapter.)

"Mitsuru-senpai! We need an analysis!" Minato yelled into his transceiver. The only reply he received was static. I tried to help him contact Mitsuru.

"Mitsuru-senpai! Mitsuru-senpai!" I cried into my transceiver again and again. Minato did the same while trying to wrench himself from Junpei's arms and pull himself up from the floor. It was no use; no matter what Mitsuru tried to reply, it would be drowned out by too much static.

But that's impossible! We're not _that_ high up in Tartarus, so high that Mitsuru's transceivers wouldn't do any good! We're only on the 10th floor!

This just _had_ to be the work of some magic, or force of some sort. I felt it in my bones.

And if it were true? Well, it wouldn't good. Not good at all. How could we know the Guardians' weaknesses without Mitsuru's data-scouting skills?

I slapped my forehead as realization hit me. Well, _duh_, I'll ask Orpheus for help!

Before I even finished my train of thought, Orpheus was already finished analyzing the Guardians. "The two Hands have no particular weaknesses; the Raven seems to be weak against Zio skills," he said.

Wow. It would've been great to have Akihiko or Ken with us right about now. Or at least either I or Minato could've had a Persona with the Zio type spells…

"Also, the Raven seems to be holding something," Orpheus reported.

Suddenly, the Hands pointed at our small group. By this time Minato had extracted himself from the Prince of Imbeciles, leaving Junpei shivering and shaking on the floor. Together, we dragged him away just in time before we got fried by twin Agi spells.

I tossed my useless bow aside and pointed my Gold Evoker at my temple. "Orpheus!" I cried.

_Bang!_

My Persona materialized above my head. He flew towards one of the Hands and Cleaved it as hard as he could. It got knocked down, crumpled in a heap.

Minato brought out his Evoker, too. "Thanatos!" He snarled.

_Bang!_

Thanatos screeched its battle cry and Power Slashed the other Hand, sending it flying back towards the other end of the Guardians' floor.

Orpheus quickly played that familiar song on his lyre.

The Raven barely had time to dodge.

_Fwoosh!_

The Raven was able to swerve out of the way, but Orpheus well-aimed Ragnarok burned away part of its left wing.

While this happened I stole a glance at Junpei, who was still shivering and shaking on the floor. Why was he so scared, anyway?

Could it be…?

Suddenly, Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that the Raven held something in its great beak. A piece of paper!

Where the heck is my Bow and Arrow?! Oh yeah, that's right- I threw it somewhere! I quickly picked it up from the ground and tried my best to aim. I let the arrow fly.

_Swoop!_

It missed. Dang. I had aimed to high. It soared harmlessly over the Raven's head. It squawked and flapped its wings. A strong gust of wind knocked me off my feet.

I quickly jumped back up and tried another shot. Please hit!

_Swoop!_

This time the arrow pierced its burned wing. It cried out in pain as it tried to shake it off. As it did, the Raven opened its beak... and the paper fluttered to the ground. "Yukari!" Minato yelled. "Go for it! I'll cover your back!"

I dropped my weapon and my Gold Evoker and ran all the way across the room.

I bent and quickly snatched it off the floor. Success! Suddenly, I heard the Raven Shadow screech right above me. "Eeek!" I yelped as it swooped low to bite of my head.

_Slash!_

All it took was a single Power Slash from Thanatos in order to save me and my head. I quickly ran back to where Minato stood. "Great timing," I wheezed, spent from all that running. I struggled to stay standing by resting my hands on my knees.

"They're really getting on my nerves,"Minato replied. I looked up at him.

I watched as he pointed his Evoker at his head again and summoned Thanatos once more.

Death threw back its head and screamed at the Dark Hour sky. And a strange, glowing, purple energy sphere appeared high above us…


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY ONE: MASUHIRO**

Thanatos screamed its blood-curdling cry as the weird, glowing energy sphere slowly got bigger and brighter. Meanwhile, the 3 Shadows on the opposite of the large room had already picked themselves up and had begun to start towards us.

I had a really, _really_ bad feeling about this particular skill…

The energy ball shimmered high above for a few more seconds, then quickly dropped down to the middle of the Guardians' floor.

Right when it hit the cold stone-

_BOOM!_

The big ball burst with a terrific explosion that caused the Tower of Demise itself to rock back and forth dangerously beneath my feet. The force of the explosion and the energy ball's impact on the stone floor caused gusts of wind to whip out ferociously, numbing my knees until they weakened and stinging my eyes until they closed painfully shut.

The wind was so strong, it easily knocked me off my feet. I flew backwards a few feet and landed painfully on my back. In the middle of all this mind blowing mayhem, I realized what technique Minato's Thanatos Persona used.

The Megidola. Thanatos used the freaking Megidola.

Why didn't Minato use Megidola during the battle with the Priestess, or those Harpies (If you don't remember the Harpies, reread chapters 9 and 10.)?

I tried to see what was going on- I tried to open my eyes. In the numbing wind, I could make out Minato's rigid form, his Evoker still poised on his forehead, his hair blowing out in the wind. He didn't even budge, even when the wind was so strong.

Too awesome! Minato is _too cool_!

--

When the wind finally died down, it felt like ten hours (actually, it lasted for only ten seconds) had passed. Minato slumped down to the floor in a crumpled heap and didn't move. "Ohmanohmanohmanohman!" I yelped and moved to his aid. I knelt beside him and shook his shoulder.

"Minato-kun! Minato-kun!"

No reply.

Now what?!

"Now you must carry him back to 1st floor. It would be foolhardy to continue exploration with the leader in such a condition," Orpheus said, as if I had asked him.

_That's a great idea and all_, I replied, glancing at the shivering boy nearby, whom up till now was _still_ shivering and mumbling "mommy". _But I'm not Wonder Woman, so I need Junpei's help in carrying Minato to the nearest Access Point. And, uh, Junpei doesn't look like he's in a position to help me…_

"Just wake him up by kicking his ass," Orpheus suggested.

…_Huh?? What'd you just say? _(Did I just hear Orpheus say _kick his ass_?)

"Er… I meant… Just rouse thy comrade from the illusion of fear by a simple, sharp slapto his face_._" Orpheus mumbled, correcting himself.

Very suspicious.

_Will it work?_ I asked him, standing up. "Yes."

Still feeling suspicious of Orpheus, I walked over to where Junpei lay and squatted down in front of him. I positioned him so he was sitting up, facing me. I drew my hand back.

Forgive me, Junpei.

_Slap!_

"OW!" Junpei cried almost immediately, rubbing his stinging cheek with a hand. Looks like he came to. I gotta admit, Orpheus' suggestion was an easier, lazier, cheaper idea than buying the medicine at the Pharmacy. And that's just the way I like it!

It took me a minute to realize that Junpei was staring at me in surprise.

"Hey, don't look at me that way," I reasoned out, putting my hands up for defense just in case. "I don't have anything on me that…" I slowly noticed that Junpei wasn't staring at me. He was staring past me, actually. I slowly got up and turned around…

Staring back at us from all the way across the room was Masuhiro. A little smirk played on his lips. "Hey," he said. Junpei was instantly on his feet. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded.

"I'm here to tell you something," Masuhiro said, ignoring Junpei entirely. If you were there, you wouldn't really tell the difference, but I was positive he was looking directly at me.

"On a windy day… which plant is stronger? The tree or the reed?" He asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Junpei continued to demand. Meanwhile, I pondered the question carefully. "I'd say the tree," I said finally, quieting Junpei effectively. "…but that wouldn't be the right answer, wouldn't it?"

"You know… I answered the same way once before," Masuhiro commented, a strange look in his eyes. He shook his head and continued, "And yes, your answer is wrong. The wind blows its fiercest, and the tree resists without bending. But sooner or later, it breaks. On the other hand, the reeds bow down gently, letting the sharp gusts sweep by without resisting… but in the end, it survives, unharmed."

As he spoke, I stared hard at him. What kind of thoughts were going through his head as he said these things? I glanced sideways at Junpei. I was still surprised by the fact that he could see Masuhiro.

"I've come only to tell you this. Heh, of course, I want to say a lot of other things… but I can't interfere with universal order. Forgive me… but if you remember my words…"

"Urgh," Minato groaned, shifting on the floor. Junpei and I immediately rushed to him. "Dude, are you alright?" Junpei asked him. Minato mumbled something under his breath.

"Dude, this is serious!" Junpei said. "Someone else is here!" Minato opened his eyes and restlessly scanned the room. "…Who?" He asked at last. Junpei pointed at Masuhiro. "Can't you see?" Minato stared hard in the general direction where Junpei was pointing.

"No…" He replied after a few seconds. My mouth dropped open.

Wasn't Minato supposed to be a 'Protégé' like me? He should be able to see Masuhiro, right? And why can Junpei see him? I stared accusingly at Masuhiro. He just smiled.

--

After we had hauled Minato to 1st floor, I quickly snuck in the Velvet Room while Junpei was busy telling Mitsuru and Akihiko (Akihiko still wanted to come, even though he was only allowed to hang out on the ground floor) about Masuhiro and about the Guardians.

I gave Elizabeth the Document (Igor had once again mysteriously disappeared) and in return, she bestowed upon me the Persona Archangel (YEEAAH!) Then she took back the bow with an "I told you so" look on her face. But she didn't give me a new weapon…

--

"_Kai… I don't understand anything anymore…"_

"_It's always like that in the beginning. But you'll see, everything will get better."_

"_Hah, easy for you to say…"_

"…_You wanna talk about it?"_

"_You really want to know? Well, frankly, What happened at Tartarus last night completely baffled me. For some reason, we couldn't contact Mitsuru. And right after the battle, Masuhiro appears… Junpei could see him clearly, but Minato couldn't…"_

"…_I really don't know what to say. I can only point you to the future. As I've said, everything will get better. I promise."_

"_Tee hee… you kind of remind me of something… or someone…"_

"_Are you sure?"_

"…_Huh?"_

--

After that "dream", the very next day I woke up really early. I didn't know why, though.

Sitting upright in my bed, the covers and blankets thrown all the way to the foot of the bed, I thought about what Masuhiro had said last night. It was almost a warning, really, like he was trying to warn me about something important. He said so himself that he couldn't tell me too much, or else he'd be breaking universal stuff.

I _have_ to know what it is. And nothing's gonna stop me. Kai was just as mysterious as ever, too. And he still reminded me off something, but I just don't know what. Yet.

As I made my way out of my room, through the hall and down two sets of stairs to the kitchen, I stopped in front of the door, realizing someone was already inside. I took a deep breath and pushed it open. I peeked inside.

"…Morning," he said.


	23. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY TWO: SUNDAY**

"Morning. You're awfully early today," Akihiko murmured. He sat by himself at the kitchen table. By the crumbs and seemingly empty cup I could tell that he had just finished eating.

"You look pretty perky yourself," I replied, suddenly feeling uneasy. Why?

I know he still doesn't trust me all that much. In fact, at this very moment, he was staring at me with that "I'm-Looking-Right-At-You" stare that you're barely the receiving end of. Akihiko and I haven't really spoken to each other since that day at the hospital. Probably because we belonged to different social circles, or something. Or maybe because the real Yukari Takeba never had a chance to chat with him, face to face.

Fully aware of the fact that he was still studying me ever so closely, I willed my legs to move and entered the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of skim milk and retrieved some cookies I made during Home Economics from a counter. I know it's ridiculous to drink skim milk when you're pigging out on chocolate, but hey, why not cut calories when you can?

I took a seat across from Akihiko, who was still watching me, and gulped down a little of my drink. Then I took a cookie from the plate and bit into it. He was still watching. I frowned at him. "Haven't you seen anyone eat a cookie before?" He was really making me nervous, let me tell you. He shook his head. "Not like how you do," was his simple reply. "What's wrong with the way I eat?" I asked him, swallowing. Akihiko made no answer, but his mouth twitched in suggestion of a smile.

Silence for a few minutes, except for the sound of me chewing and swallowing. I ate. He stared. I absently wondered what he was thinking about, what he was watching me for. He seemed to be searching my face closely for something. Desperate to avert his eyes away, even for a few seconds, I pushed my plate of cookies across the table towards him.

"Want one?" I offered. Akihiko shook his head. "I don't like cookies."

"Huh?" I gasped, unable to hide my astonishment. "You _don't like cookies_?" Akihiko looked away for the first time this quiet morning. He didn't reply. "Senpai," I began tentatively. "Everyone loves cookies. Well, to be exact, I've never met anyone who doesn't like cookies." I pushed the plate a little more. "C'mon, senpai. Try one," I coaxed. Akihiko hesitated, then pulled off one of his gloves. He took a cookie and slowly raised it to his lips.

When he bit into it, it made a loud crunching sound that broke the morning stillness. Or maybe because I was focusing my attention solely on him?

He chewed slowly, as if he was trying to taste every bit of chocolate chip in his mouth. He swallowed. "Well?" I asked eagerly. "How was it?"

Instead of answering my question, he changed the topic. "The doctor said I should be fully recovered by the end of the exams," he said. I knew he was avoiding the question on purpose, but I couldn't help but get caught up in this big news. "Really?" I asked, happy for him despite myself.

We talked quietly for a full half hour, talking about nothing interesting in particular. I don't know what you think, but I believe I just took the first few steps in bringing down that wall that separated me from Akihiko. Confirming my belief was the empty plate that was supposed to hold my cookies. I only had about six of them. Akihiko had obviously eaten the rest. He claims he doesn't like cookies, but it's obvious that he likes chocolate.

--

Stopping in front of Minato's room door a little bit later, I knocked. Once, twice. On the third knock, I tried the doorknob. It moved under my hand. I pushed the door wide open…

Minato wasn't inside. The bed was already made. Either it was already made, or he hasn't slept in it at all last night. Argh! What was I thinking? Of course he slept here last night! Junpei and I were the ones who lugged his body to this very room ourselves… What if he already left? But, wait, Akihiko and I were the only ones downstairs… and since it was really quiet, we could have heard someone open the dorm door to leave…

Then, he must still be somewhere in the dorm. Happy with my reasoning, I skipped back down the stairs and all the way to the lounge. Junpei was eating cereal while watching TV. Mitsuru was reading, as usual. Akihiko left right after our conversation this morning, so he wouldn't be here. No Minato.

I retraced my steps and instead of heading towards Minato's room, I climbed two more sets of stairs. That's when I noticed that the door to the Control Room was slightly ajar. I allowed myself in and quickly spotted Minato at one of the file cabinets, bending over the bottom most drawer. He looked up.

"Oh, hey, Yukari-chan." He sort of mumbled. He turned his gaze back to the contents of the file cabinet drawer. "Hey," I responded. I slowly, carefully made my way towards him. I kneeled next to him. "Watcha' doin'?" I asked him quietly, suddenly feeling nervous. After all, file cabinets in Control Rooms were meant to be private.

"Look at these carefully," he urged, placing some envelopes in my hands. I slowly looked them over. They were all addressed to him. "What about them?" I asked, confused. He stared at me. "Don't you see?" He asked, waving his hand airily. "These are the missing letters." I gasped. "Are you sure?" Minato nodded his head. "See? Look-" he opened one and showed me its contents. It was truly a letter from his mother. "What… what are you going to do?" I asked shrilly. He had this weird, angry light in his eyes.

Minato didn't reply. Instead, he gritted his teeth, muttering "senpai... I knew it" bitterly and quickly got to his feet and exited the room, letters in tow. "Minato-kun, wait!" I cried. He was obviously going to go confront Mitsuru about it. I was afraid that it might get to ugly. I started after him, but something else in the drawer caught my eye, stopping me. I reached my hand into the drawer and pulled out a newspaper. It was really old, and the top-right corner of the front page was dated "August 10, 1999".

Why would I be so interested in this particular newspaper? I never knew. I couldn't be reading this... not now, anyway...I skimmed the front page, unable to resist- and gasped as I read aloud to myself, " Kirijo Lab Explodes, Possible Connection to Disease". I tried to read the article as fast as I could, my hands trembling as my eyes moved over those words. "_There are rumors of the Lab's true intentions and goals,_" it said. "_But none have been verified at the moment. According to newly appointed CEO Takeharu Kirijo, the explosion was a result of an accident, but police forces and citizens say otherwise. The horrible explosion has claimed the lives of 20 innocent people, injured over 50 citizens, and about 10 bystanders are considered missing persons as of 2:00 that afternoon._"

Before I could read on, I heard Minato scream angrily downstairs. I quickly folded it up and slipped it in my pocket. I pushed the drawer shut and raced out of the Control Room. I practically flew down the stairs and into the lounge, and stopped before the intense scene.

Mitsuru had gotten up from her chair and had her hands planted firmly on her hips, her eyes narrowed, matching Minato's cold stare perfectly. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides, as if he was going to strike any second. Junpei had distanced himself considerably from the duo, glancing at Minato and Mitsuru with confusion. The letters were thrown on the table in the middle, and the TV was still playing.

"I'll ask you again," Minato said slowly, his eyes sliding over to me, then back at Mitsuru. "Why are you hiding these letters from me?" Mitsuru was silent for a split second, and finally said, "We needed you here for the Shadow operations. When you first arrived in Port Island, I've been informed of your... circumstances, as well as your potential. Because of your power, you have become a vital factor in our victory, and-"

"That's _all_?" Minato interrupted, annoyed. Mitsuru flinched. Wait a minute. FLINCHED? "Do you have any idea how I felt when the doctor told me that my mother had been sending me letters, when I haven't even gotten one? Do you know how _used and betrayed_ I feel right now?! Do you?!" Minato demanded, his voice going up an octave. "I'd like to see how _you _feel if _your father _tried to contact you and someone kept you away from him!" Mitsuru's eyes widened. "That's enough, Arisato!" She warned, the atmosphere suddenly crackling with frost (I'm serious).

But Minato didn't seem to care. Instead, he gritted his teeth and spun on his heels, and marched right past me and up the stairs.


	24. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY THREE: GHOSTS?**

"Now what happens?"

I glanced at Junpei in confusion. We were walking back to the dorm together, and tomorrow is the last day of the exams, which also means Akihiko would be fully healed by then. Minato wasn't with us, because he had to meet Akihiko at the hospital for something. "Huh?" I replied, totally not understanding. "What happens next?" Junpei continued, kicking away an offending rock as he walked.

Understanding almost immediately, I asked slowly, "You mean… what happened last Sunday, right?" He nodded his head. I looked up at the sky, not really wanting to linger too long on this particular subject. But I couldn't help myself.

"Well… those two have already apologized to each other, right? So what are you worried about?" I prodded, still looking up at the sky as if I found it really interesting. "Knowing Minato, I bet he only did it because he doesn't want to get on Mitsuru-senpai's bad side," Junpei murmured. I heard him kick another rock.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, tearing my gaze away from the heavens. My neck was already sore. I rubbed at it painfully. Junpei just shrugged. "Minato's basically a nice guy," he confided. "He doesn't want to cause trouble for anybody. From what I hear, he hates starting fights… maybe because he wants to assure his mom that he's safe."

Yet another instance wherein Minato loves his mother. Both of us fell into silence.

It was obvious that Minato was really, really close to his mom, unlike the real Yukari Takeba, who practically fought with her mother every time they got the chance.

All of my worries were instantly replaced with Orpheus. Orpheus, my Persona. I was beginning to believe he had no connection to me whatsoever, even though he's supposed to be my "Shadow". For one, he's obviously a male, and… uh, I'm not. And I've been thinking for awhile… but didn't he say something about the Fields when I summoned him with my Gold Evoker for the first time?

"Yuka-tan! Look out! Road kill!" Junpei hollered. I immediately stopped walking, and almost at the same time, a tiny brown hamster scurried in front of me. "Gah! Catch him!" A little boy yelled. Quick as a flash, Junpei moved past me and pounced on the hamster, which was cornered against the sand box. I looked around my surroundings for the first time. Junpei and I had somehow ended up at Naganaki Shrine.

"W-where is it?" A little girl wailed, running up to Junpei. A boy with brown hair followed, completely wiped out from the chase, I guessed. Could you tell who they were?

"Here it is," Junpei said gallantly, placing it in the outstretched palms of the excited girl. The boy stopped beside her, panting heavily. The girl looked up at Junpei with sparkly eyes. "My… my name is Maiko," she said. Was it just me or was she _swooning_? Junpei, being the lovable (not so lovable) idiot he is, winked at her and said, "I'm Junpei."

"C'mon, let's go," the boy urged, pulling on Maiko's sleeve. "Bye," I said, waving at the duo. Maiko was still staring at Junpei, though. But the brown-haired kid looked up. And grinned at me.

--

A few days after the end of the exams, I was about to enter school, as usual ,when Mitsuru spotted me. She quickly came over. "Good morning," she said. "…There seems to be a sense of restlessness in the air." I scanned the school grounds. For the first time, I noticed it wasn't as noisy. And a whole lot of students were whispering together in groups.

"Yeah, I agree," I commented. Mitsuru steadied her grip on her bag. "Well, I just hope it has nothing to do with the Shadows. Akihiko says we may be receiving a new member, but we don't know when _they_ will attack, so we must remain vigilant…" By "they", she probably meant those Greater Shadows. I grinned. "I know all about it," I assured her. And, honestly, I actually do. You do too, right?

Mitsuru and I walked into the school together.

--

It was no different in the classroom.

"Did you hear? About the girl from 2-E?" An excited redhead murmured to her friends. One of the girls tapped her chin. "You mean…?" "Yes!" Another gossip monger replied empathetically. "And the police have no clue!" The first girl said, shivering. "It's so bizarre…"

"Dang, can you believe these people?" Junpei remarked. Apparently he had overheard, too. Minato looked up from his paper. "What about it?" "Don't they have anything better to do?" Junpei continued to complain. But his expression quickly changed. "But, dude, have you heard the details? What about you, Yuka-tan?" He asked, glancing at Minato, then at me. Both of us shook our heads in unison.

Junpei sighed dramatically. "Am I the only one in SEES who even has a clue?" He asked to nobody in particular. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a vein pop on Minato's head.

"Well, it's like this," Junpei began, shifting in his seat for a more comfortable position. "One of the girls from 2-E, the homeroom beside ours, vanished into thin air three days ago. And, just this morning, one of her classmates was found lying on the ground in front of the school gate! Nobody knows what happened, and obviously nobody was around when it happened… up till now, she's still unconscious… they say a ghost crying for help did it to her!" He paused just to chuckle. "This is a pretty tough case, even for Junpei, Ace Detective."

This was the moment I've been waiting for. "Junpei, Ace Detective? More like Stupei, Ace Defective," I cracked. Minato snickered beside me. Junpei rolled his eyes. "Hey! I resent that!"

"Anyways, that girl, now that you say so… After swimming practice I passed her by in the hall while she was talking to her friends yesterday, and she seemed fine then," Minato revealed. Junpei drew back in surprise. "Now that's really strange…" he said.

--

Later on that day, after school, the SEES members (including me) were gathered around the dorm lounge. It was then that Junpei finally decided to speak up.

"Hey, dude," he called over to Minato, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, different tools scattered about him as he tried to fix it. The Charismatic Badass Genius was not only our leader and cook, but also our resident handyman. "Have you seen the posts on the Roadrunner yet?" The "Roadrunner" was the roadrunner-shaped (duh) message board in the front hall of the school.

"What about them?" Minato replied, getting up from the floor, dusting his pants off. He grabbed the remote from the top of the TV, took a seat on the couch beside me, and pressed the "on" button on the remote. The TV came to life. We exchanged grins and slapped high-fives.

"Well, someone put up this message saying that the reason why that girl collapsed in front of the school gate was that it was the cause of some spirit from this one ghost story." Junpei reported, adjusting the bill of his cap. I jumped a bit, and the only one who noticed was Minato, but he didn't say anything. So what if I'm a little… uh… wary when it comes to ghosts? Huh? Not scared. WARY, got that?! Don't you dare laugh…

Fortunately for me, Minato spoke up. "C'mon, Stupei," Minato began in his most rational voice. "Nobody really believes any of that stuff anymore…" Mitsuru suddenly spoke up, "What's this ghost story about?" Sounding very interested all of a sudden. Akihiko slurped up the last of his cup ramen with a loud gulp. "Yeah, tell us. We're interested," he urged, clearing his throat.

"Sure thing," Junpei said, grinning. Suddenly, the lights came out. And a little terrified gasp pierced the air (yes, stop giggling already- it's me who screamed). Junpei pulled out a flashlight from nowhere and shined it up at his face, trying to look scary. "Junpei never did any of this stuff when he told this to us," Minato whispered to me. "You know Stupei," I snickered back.

And Junpei began.

"Good evening," Junpei cackled mysteriously. "Welcome to _Junpei's Believe It, or_ _Don't_. ...There are many strange things in this world... According to one story... if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!" Suddenly, lighting flashed outside. Wait… _lightning_? "He travels around with his very own special effects," Minato explained to me in a quiet voice.

"The other day," Junpei continued in a voice graver still, "This friend of mine--let's call him Shu... He said to me, "Junpei, I saw something strange." He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E... He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night... But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true... Then, it hit me... That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat... Yes, there are strange things in this world... Believe it... or don't."

With that, the lights came back on, and Junpei put away his flashlight. Minato and I groaned in unison, and our seniors sweat dropped. But I could tell that Junpei was pleased. It was on his face. Mitsuru cleared her throat. "What do you think, Akihiko?" "I think it's worth investigating," he replied, flexing his newly healed arm.

"But there's something wrong with that rumor," Minato suddenly said. "Ghosts cause misery and fear in humans, but never injury or death. And besides, if that "ghost" really did exist, it wouldn't hurt anyone… especially a girl." All of us looked up at him, surprised. "What do you mean, Minato?" I asked him. "That ghost everyone keeps talking about has been around for almost ten years- or so they say," Minato began.

Ten years ago. _That familiar phrase again._ It's like everything revolves around that date.

"When that ghost was still alive, he had a sister," Minato was saying. "She disappeared into an old building one night to go exploring, and she was crushed under some falling rock. And after that no one really knows how to explain how he became a ghost, too. They say he died in that explosion at the Kirijo lab, along with countless others… and others say he was crushed by falling rock, too."

"Looks like there's more to this story then," Akihiko pointed out. Mitsuru nodded her head in agreement. "Indeed. We'll all start the investigation as of today," Mitsuru announced. "I want each of you to find out as much as you can, and see if there's any connection between the ghost story and that girl's fate." "Which means you're gonna have to sleep with one eye open from now on…"Akihiko joked.


	25. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY FOUR: THE INVESTIGATION**

A few days later, Minato, Junpei and I were conferring in the hall in front of our classroom. The Student Council meetings had finished about half an hour ago, Minato had assured us (he's on the Student Council), so we didn't need to worry about members of the Council barging in on our discussion- the unconscious victims. "Victims" is in plural form because two other girls were found in front of the school gate in the same way like the first girl. Creepy.

"All right, let's go over what we already know," Minato said. "First off: the rumor. I'm sure you guys have noticed by now that almost everyone in school knows about this… but how could it have gotten around so fast?" Junpei raised a hand as if to answer a question in class (which he rarely did). "There wasn't just one victim. There were three," Junpei reminded him. Minato nodded his hand. "Right. But those victims were in different classes…"

"…They were friends. They hung out together," I interjected. Junpei raised his eyebrows. "Past Tense, Yuka-tan." I blushed. "I… I… I didn't mean it like _that_," I babbled. "Next," Minato began, completely ignoring our banter, "I asked around, and I found out that they fell in the wrong crowd… and we all know one place they could have been hanging out in, so late at night, no less…" "The alleys of the Port Island Station," I breathed dreamily. That godforsaken place was also where my _sweetest dream_ could be found…

"What is this? A TV quiz show?" Junpei cracked. Minato playfully punched his best friend's shoulder and continued, growing serious, "We're gonna have to do some…_field research_." I clapped my hands in excitement. At last! At long, long last!

Junpei wasn't sharing my excitement, though. "You mean, you're planning on taking a tour in the alley behind Port Island Station? You're not serious, are you? Let me tell you… that place is bad business. We'll never get out alive, even if we tried!

Yes we would. Junpei has _no idea_. I'm sure everyone reading this agrees.

Junpei was quickly switching to panic mode, but Minato remained firm. "If so, then we should all go together," he said. He turned to me. "You're a girl, but I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, so will you come?" "Duh, of course I'm coming," I agreed brightly. Junpei shook his head. "I don't know…"

"Up till now, the only thing we've ever done is take orders. Does that feel right to you?" Minato reasoned. I drew back in surprise, shocked by the sudden pain and bitterness in his voice, and the angry flashing of his eyes. But Junpei didn't seem to notice. Or was he just pretending to not notice? "Hey, you don't have to say it like that, dude. I mean, I know what you mean, but… I guess since you put it that way… I guess I have no choice. I can't have you crawling around back alleys without me, can I?"

--

The next day, right after school, we met in front of the dorm door.

"Alright, let's get going," Minato urged, rubbing his palms together in anticipation. "What's your hurry, dude?" Junpei asked him in disbelief. "Can't you see I'm enjoying my life before we go and meet our doom?" He turned to me. "Yuka-tan, how can you be scared of ghosts if you're not afraid of this?" I felt stung. "I'm NOT afraid of ghosts, got that?!" I seethed. Junpei put up his hands. "Ok, ok," he said. "You don't need to bite my head off."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Minato retorted impatiently. He marched off without another word.

--

"The hell? Gekkou dweebs?" A punk says loudly. I groaned inwardly. Maybe we should have changed clothes or something… we got noticed way too fast.

The punk approaches us slowly, with his friend. "Hey, you… I think you're in the wrong place," he said. His face was anything but sympathetic. "You don't belong here… so _beat it_," the guy next to him sneered. Here's my cue! "We don't need your permission to be here," I told them snidely, giving them my most venomous looks. Junpei shot me a panicky look. "Are you blind, Yuka-tan? Take a look around you!" I rolled my eyes. "I know where we are, Junpei," I said. Minato looked at both of us. "C'mon, let's go. Don't get intimidated by these scum."

The first street punk took a step towards Minato. "What'd you say, pretty boy? You better watch your mouth before I smash it to a bloody pulp!" "He called us scum," a tough looking girl spoke. The punk's friend took a step forward, too. "Let's get them," he suggested menacingly. "Who cares where they're from?" All the other street slimes watching nearby surrounded us in 2.6 seconds. While all this was happening, I smiled in satisfaction. My smile grew wider when I heard a familiar voice.

"That's enough." And into the intense scene walks Mr. Badass himself. I struggled not to float into heaven as I struggled to stay focused on what was happening, not just _him_. "Hey… it's that guy," I heard Minato gape in awe to himself. Junpei's mouth just hung open. "They didn't know what they were getting into," Shinji said, looking over at us. "I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

Suddenly, one of those creepoids stepped forward, shaking his fist. "Who do you think you are, dumbass?! You wanna eat my fist?!" Shinji just rolled his eyes and sighed. That action completely ticked the guy off. "That's it!" The guy yelled. "You're going down!" The punk charges at Shinji, but Aragaki quickly headbutts him, and the punk falls backward. "Damn you, Aragaki… I thought you were one of us! Wait… you're from Gekkoukan, too, aren't ya?!" The dirtbag's friend raged.

Shinjirou Aragaki just smirked. "And what gave you that idea? I don't remember swearing a blood oath…" The first punk, the one that tried to attack him (and failed miserably), finally got to his feet. "You son of a bitch! You just crossed the line! Do you think you're going home alive?!" "Sure do," Shinji replied smoothly. I felt my insides flip-flop when he grinned at the idiots. "Wanna give it a try?" "S-screw this…" the punk growled. His friend pointed his finger in warning at Shinji. "You better grow eyes at the back of your head!" And with that, every one of those street slimes took off.

Once they were out of earshot, Shinji turned to us. "You idiots! Get outta here, this place isn't for you three." Minato suddenly stepped forward. "We came for a reason," he started. Shinji took one good look at him before his eyes widened a bit. "You… you were at the hospital." He moved a bit closer. "Did Aki ask you to come here?" "…No," Junpei said at last. "…So what do you want to know about? That ghost shit?" He guessed, making his way over to some stairs and sits down. "Yeah, but how did you know?" Minato wondered.

"It's just a rumor," Shinji began. "Those girls that wound up in the hospital were here talking shit every night… about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka." "…Fuuka? You mean Fuuka Yamagishi from 2-E?" Junpei realized. Shinji nodded. "That's why they say that the ghost of that dead guy haunting Port Island decided to help her, Fuuka being almost exactly like his dead sister, so he's been taking care of her bullies one by one… and in exchange, he made Fuuka like him… They're saying that on the internet, too."

"Wait a minute… what do you mean, 'made Fuuka like him'?" Minato demanded. Junpei and I exchanged glances. Shinji stared us down. "You really don't know? This Fuuka girl could be dead by now… she hasn't been home for more than a week now." "Are you serious?!" Junpei exclaimed, his eyes wide. "They all said that she was out sick… but she's missing?!" "We have to ask Mr. Ekoda, our Classical Literature teacher about this. He's the home room teacher for 2-E, after all…" I announced.

Shinji stood up and cracked his knuckles. "That's all I know… satisfied?" "Yes!" Minato said. "Thank-you." All of us bowed in respect, and quickly ran out of the alley… but I couldn't help but pause and turn around to see him again one more time…

--

Minato, Junpei and I decide to ask Mr. Ekoda about Fuuka the day after the next. We entered the Faculty office, and Mitsuru, Mr. Ekoda and a girl was already there.

"No!" The girl cried, covering her face with her hands. "I never knew it would turn out like this… Fuuka…" It was obvious that Mitsuru had already begun the interrogation. "You… you're Natsuki Moriyama, aren't you?" I asked. I wasn't really good at memorizing names of semi-important characters. She nodded at me, and Mitsuru spoke. "What did you do to Yamagishi?" "Hold on Mitsuru," Mr. Ekoda said, holding up his hands. "This isn't an interrogation."

But Natsuki answered anyway. "Fuuka… she was always so frazzled when I gave her a hard time… I knew what buttons to push… May 29th… we took her to the gym and locked her inside…" she stammered. "What?!" Junpei gasped in disbelief.

Natsuki continued, "That night…Maki went back alone… she was afraid we might get in trouble… but she never came back, and the next morning…" The teacher handed her a glass of water. After she gulped it down, she went on, in a shaky voice, "The rest of us went ourselves, but the gym was lock, and when we finally got it open, Fuuka was gone…and we all freaked out. Starting that night, we all started searching for her… but then, one by one, each of us ended up unconscious like Maki!"

Mitsuru cleared her throat. She turned to Mr. Ekoda. "Sir, I believe all this time that you've marked Fuuka's absences too "illness"… but all this time, you knew the truth. What was your intention?" "I was thinking of the students, of course. We must consider the future of everyone affected," Mr. Ekoda replied. "So, you chose not to report this to the police for the sake of the students?" Mitsuru pressed, clearly skeptical. Mr. Ekoda began to sweat. "It was for her! I wouldn't want any records stained by something like this… her parents agree!" "To protect your carreer… you've ignored your responsibilities as a teacher! Despicable!" Mitsuru snapped.

"I… I didn't… I wasn't…!" Mr. Ekoda stammered, completely rattled by what was said. Mitsuru turned back to Natsuki. "About you friends… did they notice anything unusual before the incidents?" "…Well… they all heard a voice…right before any of them went missing. They said it was calling their names…" Natsuki said slowly. I shivered. Junpei said, "Oh man…" Minato just stared.

Mitsuru moved over to us. "It's no doubt one of them…until now, there was no way of knowing how or why some people were conscious during Dark Hour… but these voices must be drawing them in. It isn't just a coincidence. They are clearly targeting humans…" "But, why?" Minato asked softly. Junpei and I exchanged worried glances. "They must believe… that we are their enemies," Mitsuru said at last, sounding unsure. "We should meet in the Student Council room after school to talk about tonight's operation…"

--

"Alright, our mission is to infiltrate the school. Tonight. We must rescue Fuuka Yamagishi," Mitsuru stated, staring at everyone in the room. We all stared back. "…Does that mean Fuuka is still in the school somewhere?" Junpei asked, confused. "No, what Mitsuru-senpai's trying to say is that Fuuka is in Tartarus," I explained. "Exactly. But it's not that simple… we'll have to get in the same way she did," Mitsuru said slowly. "You mean, in the gym? But didn't this happen ten days ago? So what if…" Junpei trailed off.

"Not necessarily. We can't go jumping to conclusions. Tartarus only appears during Dark Hour, so what about the rest of the day?" Akihiko pointed out. "Now that you mention it… senpai, does that mean, ten days have passed for us, but only ten hours for her?" Minato asked. "Right," Akihiko said. "And if that's true, she could still be alive." "But we can barely last in Tartarus for an hour… so how is she gonna last for ten?" Junpei asked, his voice filled with doubt.

"What- are you just going to let her die then? If you're worried about reaching her in time, we'll enter Tartarus the same way she did. We'll enter the gym and stay there till midnight," Akihiko told Junpei. "Wait, Akihiko. I too have my reservations… you could all get lost in Tartarus, as well," Mitsuru voiced out as reasonably as she could. "I won't stand by if there's still a chance," Akihiko shot back. "But Akihiko, Fuuka might be dead by now!" Mitsuru cried in frustration, putting her hands on her hips.

"Let's just go and save her," I said as loud as I could. Everyone turned to look at me. I took a deep breath. "Look, we'll never know for sure if Fuuka's dead or not if we don't at least try to look for her," I told them. "The chances are slim… but… well, I don't know how to say this but… don't you guys believe in miracles or something?" Desperate, I glanced at Minato for support. He smiled encouragingly. I let him take over.

"Let's vote," Minato began, "all in favor of leaving her in Tartarus, raise your hand."

Nobody moved an inch.

"Now," Minato continued, "anyone in favor of saving her as soon as possible, raise your hand."

Five hands went straight up. Including Minato's. He grinned. "Then let's do it!"


	26. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

A/N: Hey guys, welcome to the twenty fifth chapter of The Protegee! For your information, the FAQ list has hit 18! Yippee! Be sure to check it out if you're interested!

**TWENTY FIVE: THE GYM KEY**

Mitsuru snapped her cellphone shut and sighed. We, the SEES members, were already in the Control Room. Akihiko looked up at the redhead. "What's wrong?" "I can't get a hold of the Chairman," Mitsuru replied, her voice edgy with frustration. Minato shrugged. "Then we'll have to take care of it ourselves." "There's one problem, though," Mitsuru said, turning around to face us. "Without the Chairman's help, I'm not exactly sure how we could possibly get in…" Junpei just snickered. "Don't worry senpai- I've got it all set to go!" "Set to go? You mean… an explosive?" Mitsuru asked.

--

"See?" Junpei giggled, gesturing to the surroundings. We were standing in one of the many (dark) hallways of the school. "We're in!" "So, you've unlocked it earlier…Tres Bien!" Mitsuru told him.

All five of us made our way to an open classroom to plan action. "…Can't we at least turn on the lights?" I suggested, trying to sound calm. Junpei grinned at me. "Aww, you scared?" He teased. I shot him a poisonous stare. "No. It's better if we leave them off. They cut the power from the lights at night, anyway," Akihiko pointed out.

"Our first course of action is to find the gym key. Akihiko and I will check the janitor's room. You three go search the Faculty Office. After that, we'll meet in the main hallway. Alright?" Mitsuru asked, glancing at us one by one. Junpei rubbed his hands together. "The Faculty Office, huh? Maybe I'll find some test questions! Heh, heh…." "Count me in," Minato told them a little too brightly. "Who knows what kinds of _secrets_ we'll find!" He added mysteriously. Akihiko "hmmed" and looked up. "Maybe I should go to the Faculty Office, too… it sounds interesting."

Mitsuru glared at the three teens. "Are you planning something irresponsible under my supervision? If so, then expect to be severely punished…." Junpei held up his hands in defense. "We… we were just kidding, senpai!" He assured her. Akihiko nodded his head. "C'mon, Mitsuru- lighten up." "Hmph. Akihiko, let's get to the janitor's room. Arisato, Iori… you're coming with us." "Wait just a damn minute!" I yelped. "I can't go by myself!" "I'll go with her, Mitsuru," Akihiko volunteered. Mitsuru cast him a suspicious stare, and finally said, "Fine. Arisato, Iori- let's go." She walked off without another word. Minato and Junpei exchanged disappointed glances, sighed, and hurried to catch up with her.

"Mweh heh heh heh…." Akihiko chuckled darkly. I jabbed him in his rib as hard as I could. "Let's get this over with already," I told him. We moved out of the classroom and took the staircase on the left, going down. But then it got a little scary when we reached the main hallway….

Footsteps resounded a little down the hall. I choked. "What? Someone's here?" Akihiko quickly dragged me behind the nearest pillar. We held our breath as a ray of light shone through, and the footsteps got closer and closer…and then got farther and farther away. I waited until I couldn't hear the footsteps anymore before I finally let out my breath. Akihiko peeked around the pillar. "The coast's clear," he whispered.

--

"Urgh. It's too dark. I can barely read the labels on these things," I complained, opening yet another drawer. Akihiko and I have been searching for the Gym Key for about five minutes now, with absolutely zero luck. I tried searching the place the real Yukari found the key, but I couldn't find anything… and worse, I couldn't see what any of the labels said. Nearby, Akihiko had his hands in the file cabinet for some reason. Maybe I should tattle to Mitsuru about it tomorrow, unless he was really nice…

"Takeba, did you find anything?" He asked me, quietly closing the drawer. "Nope. Nada," I replied, sighing. He strolled up to me. "I'll help you look here," he offered, reaching with his loved hands into the depths of one of the shelves. I nodded my head at him, appreciating his kindness. We searched for a little longer. I yanked open a drawer I had previously inspected. I _knew_ the Gym key was here…_somewhere_….

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, it took me one minute to realize that Akihiko had disappeared. "S-sempai?!" I gasped, my voice cracking a bit. "Boo." A voice whispered behind me. I jumped and yelped in fright. I quickly spun around and came face to face with Akihiko's mischievous grin. "Sempai, you jerk!" I growled at him. His grin just grew wider. I turned away from him in disgust and placed my hands inside the drawer I had opened. "Junpei's right… you really _are_ afraid of ghosts," Akihiko commented, conducting a search of his own in a different drawer. "It's kinda cute."

"That's… that's not _entirely_ true," I told him, my face growing warm. I must've been blushing pretty hard because he took one look at me and grinned again, which made me blush even deeper. How embarrassing…. I forced my attention on the drawer again. Instead of shifting through the messy assortment of papers, I felt around the back. "Aha!" I cried triumphantly when my fingers hit a key ring. I brought it out and stared at it. There were a million keys on it.

--

When Akihiko and I finally emerged from the Faculty Office with the correct key, the others were already waiting. "Did you find it?" Mitsuru asked us. "You bet," I said, holding it up for them to see. Junpei snickered. "You know, I heard a scream that sounded kinda familiar…." I blushed for the second time that night. "So what?" I sort of mumbled, looking away. Minato smiled, amused, while Akihiko and Junpei slapped high-fives.

Mitsuru was still all-business, as usual. "Let's go," she said. "We'll divide into two teams again. Three of you will enter Tartarus, one of you will stay outside the school with me. Once Dark Hour has begun, I'll try to determine Yamagishi's position."

"I'm going," Akihiko volunteered immediately. He suddenly turned to me. "You can control multiple Personas like Minato, right? Wanna try being the leader, Takeba?" I scratched my head. "Um…." "And I'll be the third," Minato put in. Junpei suddenly put up his hands to stop us. "Hold it! Remember how I accidentally screwed up on the monorail? Let me make up for it!" "Then, I guess I'll just stay with Mitsuru-sempai," Minato said, sounding a bit uncertain. I immediately noticed this.

"No! Don't bother, Minato-kun. I'll stay behind with Mitsuru-sempai," I said. Before Akihiko could say anything else, I added, "You should take the lead, as usual."

NO WAY was I going to let him stay behind with Mitsuru. What if they argue again? Right? Nobody said anything else, so Mitsuru finally said," Let's go. It's almost time."

--

I immediately regretted my decision to stay behind. Here we were, standing around on 1st floor, Tartarus… with a whole lot of nothing to do. I had already walked around. I had already polished my new sword (I bought it by selling the gloves we found a few weeks before). I had already tried pretending there was an enemy. I had already-

"I still haven't heard from them," Mitsuru reported, messing with some strange device on her motorcycle. "The transceiver's sensitivity has been set to high, too…." I walked over to her. "Er… that girl, Natsuki… I hope she's ok at the dorm," I said, trying to continue the conversation. Mitsuru looked up. "Unfortunately, no place is safe during Dark Hour," she said matter-of-factly. "But we couldn't possibly bring her here, of all places, and one of us staying behind was out of the question."

"…Yeah. I guess you're right," I said. We stared at each other for a while. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, I cleared my throat. "But we're all here for Fuuka's sake, right?" Mitsuru's face visibly softened. "Yes, we are," she agreed, smiling. I didn't mean to, but the next question just popped into my head. "Sempai… why did you hide Minato-kun's letters?" I asked abruptly. She blinked in surprise. Her eyes were filled with doubt. I hurried to correct the misunderstanding. "I'm not accusing you of anything," I babbled. "But, well, he seemed pretty angry, you know? And I just wanted to know… um, it's ok, I won't doubt your reasons or anything, but this is his _mother_ we're talking about here…."

"I know," Mitsuru said slowly, staring intently at my face, almost as intensely as the way Akihiko stared at me when I ate breakfast in front of him. She seemed to be watching my reaction. I carefully blanked out my face. "…The thought of hiding the truth of Arisato's mother's true condition never occurred to me, let me assure you," Mitsuru continued, her voice sounding strangely hoarse and quiet all of a sudden. "But after cases of the Apathy Syndrome increased tenfold, I was told that I had no choice by-"

_Thud. Thud._

Her speech was interrupted by a heavy sound…something heavy moved right outside the front door. Something big.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Mitsuru and I moved closer to each other. I gulped. Now I was _really_ regretting my decision to stay behind. Well… I can't run now. "Takeba, prepare yourself," Mitsuru warned. She had drawn her Evoker. I pulled out my Gold Evoker.

_Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud…_

The noises abruptly stopped right outside the door.


	27. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY SIX: ROYAL DUO**

_CRASH!_

Mitsuru and I ducked as the front door exploded open, huge chunks of rock flying over our heads. The floor rumbled. Tartarus trembled. I barely heard Mitsuru shout on the transceiver, "There are Shadows! Takeba and I need you! Be careful!" Heavy, gritty smoke poured out of the shattered door, so dark that I couldn't see.

But I could hear. Very clearly.

_Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud…_ went the sound of heavy footsteps.

Mitsuru and I looked up. I couldn't see a thing. I was about to try squinting, but I didn't need to. Two awfully familiar giants stepped forth, out of the smoke and into full view.

It was the Emperor and Empress Shadows! I gaped at their incredible height. They looked about thirteen feet tall! The Emperor was brandishing his Goliath sword. It shone eerily in the Dark Hour moonlight. The Empress was twirling her baton-staff thing, around and around. She seemed to be studying me….

Suddenly, the Empress let out a horrible smell shriek that made my eardrums burst. "Yasunuga!" She cried angrily, pointing her staff at me menacingly. "Yasunuga!" the Emperor yowled in harmony, stamping his foot. He didn't look too happy, either!

Mitsuru turned to me. "What are they talking about, Takeba? What is Yasunuga?" I could hear the accusation as plain as day. I gave her a confused look. "I have no idea," I replied truthfully. Before Mitsuru could say something else, though, the Empress charged at me, her wand poised to smash me into a pancake. "Yasunuga! Die! May you breathe your last!" She cried horribly.

"Obey my command!" I heard Mitsuru yell.

_Bang!_

In seconds, Penthesilia appeared and knocked the Empress Shadow away. "Thanks!" I called to Mitsuru. She nodded her head at me then turned her gaze to the Emperor Shadow. "Penthesilia!" She cried. Almost in response, the Emperor moved towards the redhead with uncharacteristic speed, his sword ready for a heavy Strike. He tried to skewer Mitsuru, but she just dodged to the side as if it was nothing.

"My Persona can see through all of your attacks," Mitsuru said. Penthesilia immediately launched a Bufu at the Emperor. There was a terrific explosion….

But when the smoke cleared, the Emperor stepped out unharmed. Mitsuru and I gasped in unison. Her attack was ineffective!

"No!" I cried. I quickly summoned Archangel to come to Mitsuru's aid. By now the Empress had recovered from Mitsuru's surprise attack. She immediately knocked Archangel away with a single twirl of her staff. And before I could react, she knocked me down, too, with a sickening _crack_. Soon I found myself sprawled on my back on the cold tiled floor. My vision hazed over, my body went numb, and I distinctly heard the Shadows laughing triumphantly, and Mitsuru yell "What are you doing here?!" at someone. I struggled to stand and saw Mitsuru in the clutches of the Emperor… and a familiar orange-haired girl standing at the door. Natsuki!

Strained from the effort to stay sitting up, I plopped back on my back. Things couldn't get any worse, I thought, before I blacked out….

--

I found myself standing in the middle of nowhere, blackness all around, overhead, beneath my feet. Where was I? This place… this was where I ended up before, more than a month ago, during my first battle with a Shadow… when I first summoned Orpheus.

But how did I get here? How could I get out?

"Don't be afraid," said a voice. A voice from nowhere. I glanced up at what would've been the sky, but was just nothingness. I immediately recognized the voice. It was the voice that led me to the dorm on my first night… it was the voice that gave me the strength to pull the trigger on my Gold Evoker and save Minato's life… it was the voice that haunted my dreams. Unlike before, this time I really knew who it was.

"…Kai?" I called out. "Is that you?"

"You're friends are in danger," the voice said softly, ominously. It _was_ Kai. I glanced back down, my neck aching. "What danger?" I demanded, suddenly feeling scared.

In an instant, an image formed in front of me. I blinked in surprise and staggered backwards. I gasped in horror when I realized what I saw. Akihiko, Minato and Junpei were fighting the Emperor and Empress Shadows, but they seemed really tired. Nearby, Fuuka had already summoned Lucia, Natsuki safe inside the protective womb-like barrier with her. She was calling out advice. Mitsuru was still in the clutches of the Emperor. To my horror, the Emperor Shadow succeeded in knocking Akihiko down. Nearby, Junpei had fallen on one knee, grasping his reopened wound. Minato was struggling to free Mitsuru with his Fairy Persona.

"What can I do?" I asked Kai. "My attacks are ineffective against them!"

"You can assist them in a different way," he answered. He seemed to be right behind me, but I didn't dare turn around. I felt that he might just disappear and leave me all alone if I tried to see him. "How?" I asked him a moment later.

"Use your power to keep them alive, keep them safe," Kai replied. I scratched my head, confused. "But none of my Persona can heal wounds," I objected. It was true. Suddenly, he moved next to me and took my hand in his. I looked up into his startling blue eyes. We locked gazes for a moment before he smiled. "I'll help you," he offered. "Besides, _two in harmony surpasses one in perfection_, after all." He tightened his grip on my hand. I felt my self blush a bit. It was only natural- wouldn't a girl blush when a handsome guy holds her hand and smiles at her?

"…OK," I said at last. Both of us faced the image before us and walked towards it, hand in hand….

--

Back in reality, I was instantly on my feet. Suddenly feeling vitalized, I quickly scanned the scene taking place before me. Everything was just as that image revealed.

OK…. Kai said that I needed to get everyone refreshed and revived… but like I said, I didn't have any Persona that knows any healing spells….

Suddenly, it hit me. Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection. That was what Kai told me. I thought about my three Personas: Orpheus, Asparas, and Archangel. Apparently Archangel is useless at the moment…. But Orpheus and Asparas could use the skill Cadenza if they combined their power… was that what Kai was trying to tell me?! Well… it didn't hurt to try! But how can I use two Personas at once? Real life is very different from the game!

I pointed the Gold Evoker at my head.

_Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection._

"Cadenza!"

_BANG!_


	28. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY SEVEN: FORTUNE TELLER'S ADVICE**

For some reason, I felt completely light headed. My whole body felt numb. I know I used the Cadenza spell to help the others, but what exactly happened to me?

"Takeba…Takeba! Wake up!"

Someone was calling my name and shaking my shoulders roughly. I slapped away the hand, annoyed, and opened my eyes. I was down on the floor on my back again. Using the Fusion Spell Cadenza must have knocked me unconscious or something. I looked up into the eyes of Mr. Shadow Boxer. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Akihiko said, only half joking. I could tell he was seriously worried about me. For some reason, this particular thought made me happy.

"Wha happnd ta m?" I squeaked, my speech garbled. I immediately winced at the pain that shot through my face, neck and shoulders. Akihiko quickly put a gloved hand over my mouth. "Sh! I think it's best if you just avoided talking for now," he advised, fighting a smile. I blushed. My speech doesn't sound _that bad_, does it?

"Takeba, you're awake," Mitsuru said, coming up beside me. She bent down so she could see me better. "Can you stand?" Akihiko got up and stepped back to give me room. I took a deep breath and struggled to my feet. Mitsuru held out her hand for me to grab. I took it with a thankful expression and tried to hold myself steady. In the next few seconds I was up. "Thanks to your assistance, Iori, Arisato and Akihiko were able to defeat the Shadows," Mitsuru told me, a smile forming on her face as she said this.

I looked down at my feet, suddenly feeling shy.

Nearby, Natsuki was kneeling on the floor with an unconscious Fuuka on her lap, crying, and saying over and over again, "I'm sorry." Junpei was standing beside the girls with Minato, who had his arm slung over his friend for support. I guess Mr. Charismatic Badass Genius was feeling a whole lot more drained than me.

Suddenly, I felt watched….

I turned around to face the stairs leading to 2nd floor and almost immediately noticed the pale blonde, golden eyed teenager sitting on the fifth step, smiling. Later, Akihiko revealed that it was because of Masuhiro that Fuuka stayed safe... _he_ was the "ghost" of Iwatodai!

--

All that happened days ago. As you know, Fuuka had to go to the hospital for awhile, then when she got released, she joined SEES, moved into the dorm, and made friends with everyone- including Natsuki. What a happy ending, huh?

As for me, my dizzy spells went haywire for three days straight, and my body refused to move whenever I needed it to, so I had to stay at the dorm, in bed. Akihiko was _so kind_ to deliver all of my homework to me from school (damn him!), and the only good thing about this whole episode was the fact that Minato made my meals extra special. Speaking of Minato, even though he looked too far gone that night we battled the Emperor and Empress Shadows, he had fully recovered the next morning. What was his secret for his instantly restored energy? Maybe I should ask him for some tips.

When I finally got back to school, everyone, EVERYONE was out to get me with their "dilemmas". Some of my classmates asked me to help them with stuff, the janitor asked me to help him drag his cart thing up the stairs to his office, Ms. Toriumi cornered me during Lunch and begged me to join some clubs so I ended up joining the archery team and the music club by the end of Lunch, and right when school ended, Mitsuru entered the classroom and walked towards me with a serious expression on her face.

--

FLASHBACK

"Takeba, there is something I need to discuss with you. Follow me," Mitsuru said tentatively, gesturing out the door. I groaned inwardly. There was no escape.

In one corner of the hallway, Mitsuru revealed her distress. "Student Council Vice President Narumi Ono will not be able to report to school anymore," she informed me. Clearing her throat, she continued, "It has been announced that he has met a serious accident and had to be hospitalized… have you been aware of it?" I thought for a minute. "Yeah," I said at last. "I think I heard some girls talking about it at the school gate this morning."

Mitsuru nodded her head. "Yes, that is what everyone is led to believe, but… Ono's 'accident' is… more than it seems." She paused to look at me. I nodded my head back, understanding. "You're talking about _them_, right?" I asked her, lowering my voice a bit. "Exactly," she said. "So…where do I come in?" I asked her.

"…I'm expecting you to enter the race for the Vice President elections next month," Mitsuru said, looking at me straight in the eyes. I gaped at her. "Huh?" I exclaimed. "Why me? What about Minato-kun?"

"Well, that was my first intention, but I've thought about it and I realize his circumstances," Mitsuru explained. "Being the leader of the Shadow Operations every midnight is enough for him, so he says, as well as being an active member of the Student Council Representatives and the Disciplinary Committee. Yesterday, Akihiko suggested that it should be you, and I agree. You seem reliable enough, and you follow orders from teachers and from Arisato during the Shadow operations… in other words, nobody else could be better fit for the job than you."

I drew back, surprised from her long explanation and her determination.

She stared at me, waiting for my answer. Her gaze brooked no disobedience.

END OF FLASHBACK

--

"WOW! Really?!" Junpei exclaimed. Junpei, Minato and I were at Paulownia Mall, hanging out. I nodded my head, and Junpei whistled low, obviously impressed. "To get approached by Mitsuru-sempai like that…," Junpei mumbled in amazement, shaking his head. Minato clapped my back. It was his way of saying "congratulations".

We talked for a full thirty minutes longer about school, mostly about how Junpei was caught napping in class for the hundredth time, and how Minato hadn't, even once. Stupei then glanced at his watch and jumped up, screaming something about make-up lessons he was late for. He left Minato and me alone. My companion and I had just decided to go back to the dorm when someone called out to us.

"Hellow, dahlings!" A large woman greeted us whole-heartedly, her breath smelling like pickles. She sat at a desk which was placed near the entrance to Club Escapade. There was a small crystal ball placed in front of her in the middle of the table. I immediately recognized her. "…Madame?" I said slowly. The older woman laughed, got up from her desk to bow, and sat down again. "I've been expecting you dahlings, you bet!" She announced smugly. Minato leaned towards me a little.

"Friend of yours?" He asked. I made a face. "Not quite."

"Would you like me to foretell your future?" Madame asked us. "No charge. I'm in a good mood today!" Minato and I exchanged glances. "Why not?" I said at last. Minato nodded his head, unsure. Madame clapped her hands in excitement. "Splendid! In that case, you go first, sonny!" She crowed, pointing at Minato. Minato shrugged and stepped forward. Madame took a full ten, dramatic minutes squinting into her crystal ball.

When she looked up, she announced, slowly, "…I feel that you are no ordinary person, sonny boy." Minato's expression slowly changed. I felt my pulse race. Technically, Madame was right about him being not normal. But she was just saying that to get attention, right? "There are forces surrounding you," Madame was saying. "One is filled with malice. The other seems to be seeking salvation and peace. But you, sonny, seem to be getting away from both." Minato visibly gulped. "You're point?"

Madame grinned, satisfied. "One day, one of these forces will engulf you, and when that happens, your true nature will surface."

At that moment, Minato's cellphone began to ring. Mumbling his excuse, Minato slipped away into a private corner.

"As for you, Yukari," Madame began, resting her elbows on the table, "I believe you wish to return to the place you came from." At this I was alert. "Can you tell me how?" I asked her, despite of myself. She chuckled. "The path home was always there. You just don't see it. Or, to be more precise, you won't be able to see it because your heart knows that you have a mission to complete first."

She paused to build suspense, then said, "You wanted this, Yukari." I stared her down, confused. "Something from your world, a powerful force, was what brought you here. It's connected to your feelings. And when you signed the Contract, you sealed your Fate. You have a mission to accomplish. You have to finish what you've started, and until then you aren't allowed to return," Madame explained.

I let this sink in for a minute. Madame just chuckled again and stood up from her chair and entered Club Escapade. I was alone. The "force" Madame was talking about… was it the haunted fortune-teller machine? It brought me here? And the only way to get back home was to "finish what I've started"… does that mean I have to live through the whole game all over again? Well… that's fine, I guess…. Suddenly, a new question popped into my head, surprising me.

If the time ever came for me to go back home… would I have the strength to leave my friends behind?

Friends. I called them my friends. But that's just dumb! They're only… characters… in a game…. The more I said it, the less I believed it.

For the first time ever, I felt completely torn.


	29. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**TWENTY EIGHT: ELIZABETH'S REQUEST #3**

Tossing a ball of wadded up paper, I glanced thoughtfully around my room. The door was wide open so the air could circulate. The contents of my school bag were emptied out onto my bed. The drawers of my dresser were only half open. Papers were strewn all over one corner of the room. And a small stack of books were tilting over the edge of a chair. When I finally finished scrutinizing my room, I thoughtfully viewed my desk.

Where, oh where, was that _darned newspaper_?! I knew it had to be here… _somewhere_…

"You know, your room could easily pass as a female version of Aladdin's cave," an amused male voice drawled from the doorway. I turned around. Akihiko was leaning comfortably on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. "But if you ask me, this room looks more like a landfill," he added with a smirk. I felt myself blush. In fact, I have been blushing around him, Minato and Kai a whole lot lately. From embarrassment? From anger? Who knows?

"I know it looks a _little messy_-"at this, Akihiko chuckled, and I blushed again, "-but there's actually organization in my disorganization." "You have a unique way of working," he remarked, cataloguing the disarray. I was determined not to be swayed by the hint of humor threading through his voice. "Haha. Very funny. Remind me to laugh at that one later," I told him, rolling my eyes.

Steeling my nerves, I forced my gaze off him and continued on to search my desk for the newspaper. I wasn't looking directly at him anymore, but I could feel his eyes focused entirely on me. Did he come all the way to my room just to gawk? Doesn't he know it's rude?

I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. Akihiko was staring at me so intensely; I had begun to feel self-conscious. I began to desperately wish for him to stop staring at me like that….

"Come have lunch with me," I heard him say. I froze. It took me eleven seconds for the message to reach my brain. And it took three seconds to comprehend it. I gaped at him in surprise. "Well, don't look so shocked," he said a little too quickly, "I know you're a little mad at me and think I'm a total jerk and all, but… well… think of this as my way of apologizing."

Before I could reply, my cellphone began ringing on my bed. I retrieved it and pressed the receive button. "Hello?" I said into the phone "Yukari-chan? It's me," said a familiar voice. "Minato-kun?" I said. "Yeah. Could you come over to Paulownia Mall? Elizabeth has a request for us," he asked me. "Sure. I'll be over there in a jiffy," I replied.

After I hung up, I looked around and realized Akihiko was waiting for a reply. "I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I can't lunch is out of the question right now."

"No problem. We'll have dinner."

I gaped at him again. Before I could open my mouth to tell him no thanks, he said, "Tomorrow night, seven o'clock." Why was he so determined?

"But, sempai-"

"Why not, Takeba?" He asked, challenging me. "Why not go to dinner with me?"

I gave up with a light laugh. "Why not?" I asked him.

This will definitely be interesting.

--

When I got to the Mall, Minato was waiting for me beside the fountain. We used the Door of the Soul to enter the Velvet Room. And for the first time ever, both Chosen Ones, or better known as the Protégés, entered the Velvet Room together… I'm sure you can guess that it was me and Minato. XD

Inside the Velvet Room…

"Ah, my task is nothing, really," Elizabeth began, twiddling her thumbs shyly. She drew an imaginary line on the carpeted, purple, velvet floor with her toe before she finally said, "Well, I'd like to see Paulownia Mall." Minato raised his eyebrows. "You mean, you want an escort around the Mall?" He asked her, obviously not believing a word she said. Her eyes were proof enough for us.

--

When we got back outside, Elizabeth gasped in delight. "Ah, yes! An intimate encounter with one of this world's rarities!" She gushed, looking around. "What shall I see first?"

While she was busy talking to herself, I turned to Minato. "I've got something to tell you," I told him seriously. His attention was instantly on me. "What is it?" "About my Persona, Orpheus," I began. Before I could say more, though, both of us heard Elizabeth say, "Oh! A fountain! The strange stone contraption that sports water, the foundation of all life! How wicked!" We looked up.

"I've heard rumors that its enchanting nature grants wishes to those who sacrifice a few coins," Elizabeth went on, turning around to face us. "…Is it true?" "Whoa, calm down," I told her, unable to keep the smile of my face. Minato grinned beside me. "Maybe so," he said, answering Elizabeth's question. "But it's just a superstition… it hasn't been proved yet." "Is that so?" Elizabeth said wonderingly, turning once more towards the fountain. "Is it possible that the worth of the coins wasn't sufficient to pique the fountain spirit's interest?"

Hmmm… where do you think this is going? Congratulations if you guessed she's filthy rich.

"Fortunately, I have anticipated this," she was saying. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a coin purse, whose color matched that of her clothes. "I have brought a good supply of coins," she reported to us excitedly. "Two thousand of your 500 yen coins, too be exact. I shall make an opening bid to the fountain with one million yen!" With those words, she proceeded to walk to the edge of the fountain. She opened the purse and turned it upside down. The coins fell out as easily as running water, shimmering, making noisy _plink plank_ sounds. The couple sitting on a bench nearby turned and stared.

"…One million yen? Is she crazy?" I whispered to Minato. "Yeah, you're right. Instead of pouring in the fountain, she should be giving it to me," Minato replied, still grinning. "Ah! I was so caught up in the excitement of tossing coins that I didn't consider my wish!" Elizabeth cried, turning her purse right side up. She shook her head. "I shall give it more consideration next time…."

Minato turned to me. "So? What about your Persona?" He asked, all-business. "Well, to put it frankly, my Persona is different," I said. He frowned. "What do you mean?" "Personas are supposed to reflect you, right? Haven't you noticed? Orpheus is obviously a guy Persona, and last time I checked, I'm a girl," I explained. "What is this facility?" We overheard Elizabeth say. To our surprise, Elizabeth had already moved on. She was standing in front of the Police Station. We walked up to her. "There are some stern-looking gentlemen inside," she continued. "And these photographs… pasted so prominently… Most Wanted… Reward…." She turned to us. "Am I correct in thinking of these as your version of my subjugation requests?"

"What's subjugation?" I whispered to Minato. "Killing, execution," he replied before saying to Elizabeth, "Pretty much." "If they truly parallel my request, what do they use as proof that the target has been subjugated? Do they require a part of the body? How interesting…." Elizabeth mumbled to herself.

"Yeah, I noticed it," Minato told me, continuing our earlier conversation. "And what's more, Orpheus keeps telling me that he'll always protect me and that he'll never leave me," I continued. Something in my mind clicked, and without thinking, I said, "Kai said the same thing, too." Minato scratched his head. "Now I'm confused. Who's Kai?"

"This edifice… is it… it is truly a club?! Really?!" We heard Elizabeth cry in pure delight. We ran to her side. "Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions…a subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle… wait, it cannot be closed now, can it? Such a pity… I had hoped to in on the wild ritual…." Elizabeth said empathetically, gazing longingly up at the Club Escapade sign. Without warning, she began to bust some serious robot dance moves. Minato looked around wildly in embarrassment. The couple that watched Elizabeth a few minutes ago were gawking again. As for me, a single thought spurted from my head.

_I'm gonna die… I'm gonna die… I'm gonna die from embarrassment!_

"Hey! It's you guys! Dude! Yuka-tan!" Someone yelled at us from the Mall entrance.


	30. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**Special Announcement:**

**First, the FAQ list has new questions answered! Also, I might slow down on updating the story a tad bit because… I'm going to be working out on Beta-reading Hana Goldflower's "Arisato Mina" story! If you saw this fanfic, try reading it! It basically follows the original plotline of Persona 3… except the Main Character is a GIRL!**

**Second…** **this chapter is slightly MinatoxYukari. Read on if you're interested!** **Not that I already decided on this pairing, mind you.... And from now on, all implied pairings will be made more obvious!**

**THIS FANFIC COULDN'T HAVE EXISTED WITHOUT YOU GUYS.**

**--**

**TWENTY NINE: THE NEWS**

"Dude!" Junpei yelled again, running full speed towards us. He stopped a few feet away and jabbed his finger at the Mall Entrance. "Your mom's doctor… at the entrance… something important!" He panted noisily.

Minato's mood instantly changed. I saw the color drain from his face. Nearby, Elizabeth stopped dancing to watch. "What happened?!" Minato demanded shrilly, his eyes wide with… anger? Why anger? "…No…idea!" Junpei squeaked, still obviously worn out.

Minato instantly made a break for the Mall Entrance, leaving me behind with a tired Junpei and an ever-curious Elizabeth. When our blue-haired leader was out the door, Junpei turned to me. "Let's go eavesdrop," he suggested. Normally, this particular idea would have initiated me to send him to the floor with my strongest punch. But on the other hand, I want to know what exactly went wrong with Minato's mom.

The problem was, I was in the middle of an important Request! I turned to where Elizabeth was standing, but only saw air. Where did she go?

"Well?" Junpei pressed, tapping his foot impatiently. "If you don't want to find out what's up, I'll go myself, cause I know I definitely do."

"I'm coming with you," I said.

--

Junpei pressed a finger to his lips as if to say "quiet". Both of us were pressed up against a large pillar. On the other side of the pillar, a few feet away, were Minato and his doctor.

I strained my ears to listen.

"…all these problems," the doctor was saying. "I believe you have your own life here, in Port Island, as well-" "Just tell me _what the heck is wrong already,_" Minato interrupted, obviously agitated. He still sounded angry. But why? Did he partially blame Mitsuru-sempai for this? But that can't be! They have already set aside their differences and apologized to each other, right? Was Minato truly angry?

"I'll keep this short and clear for you," the doctor said. He cleared his throat. "Your mother took a turn for the worse only five hours ago and is in a critical condition," the doctor finally said. Junpei and I exchanged worried glances. "Last month's flu has weakened her considerably and she had a hard time recovering, and an ever harder time trying to pull through right now." "There's something else," Minato said, filling in the silence that ensued. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"I'm doing all I can for your mother," the doctor continued, his voice suddenly very grave-sounding. "But I doubt that the treatments will help her any."

Minato's voice sounded strangely hoarse. "Why?" he demanded softly.

"To put it simply, your mother is simply old. She seems tired, even," the doctor concluded. "I'll continue treating her, but… what she really needs right now is your presence. I suggest you stay close to her for the next few days, because who knows what might happen to-"

"Thank you, doctor," Minato interrupted for the second time, this time sounding very shaky. I imagined that the doctor had placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll talk to the Gekkoukan High school board about this for you. Just go home and pack- we'll leave for Yokohama today," the doctor suggested quietly. "Thank you," Minato said again.

Nodding at each other, Junpei and I snuck off. I felt something bad settle in the pit of my stomach. I felt sorry for Minato.

But I didn't know that I was also very terrified of him.

--

I sat on the bed, watching Minato pack. I was in his room.

He seemed really tense. He still seemed angry for some reason. All of his movements were jerky, his mouth was set on a grim line, and he kept mumbling to himself.

Minato shoved a drawer close, but it popped back open. I heard him curse under his breath, but moved away from his dresser and bent down in front of his bag to fix whatever. I got up and closed the drawer gently, then moved next to him. "What should I do?" he suddenly asked, his voice quiet. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't worry about a thing," I assured him, even though I was kind of scared myself. Minato looked like he might lash out any second.

"My mother was… resisting the treatments ever since," Minato revealed with some trace of realization and hurt. "He said that it was almost as if she didn't want to get better." He abruptly stood up; I did the same. We faced each other. "Why?" He demanded softly, ominously. I felt sorry for him. I couldn't answer his question. Seriously- it sounded as if his mom wanted to die!

"My father… left me and my mother behind in Yokohama to work here in Port Island as a scientist for the Kirijo Group," Minato said, his gaze hardening. "I promised my mother that I'd never leave her… but I left anyway, to find out what happened to my father here. Is it my fault she's like this?"

"Of course it's not your fault. Just wait and see- your mom will get better soon," I consoled him. "No!" Minato suddenly shouted, defiantly. I flinched. Both of us were dead quiet. So quiet, we could hear a bunch of kids playing baseball in the next block. Minato breathed deeply for a few seconds, trying to tame his anxiety. "I… I won't lie to myself anymore," Minato said after calming down. "I've told myself these past two years… over and over again… that my mom would get better…." He paused, clearly hesitating to say the next words.

"I think I've known the truth all this time… that my mother would leave me, too."

Suddenly, without warning, Minato reached for me….

It all happened so fast.

One second we were facing each other, and in the next second (picture this) my hands were flat against his chest while he grabbed my upper arms, pulled me close to him and rested his head on my shoulder.

I felt myself blush a bit. I mean, I've never been this close to a boy before….

"This is so weird," Minato mumbled softly into my shoulder. The feel of his voice against my skin made me shiver a little. "W-what's weird?" I asked him, struggling to comprehend what the heck was going on. "…Why am I even telling you these things?" he said wonderingly, his head still resting firmly on my shoulder. "And not just that… you're even listening to me." I didn't reply. I didn't even understand what in the world he was driving at!

"Whatever the reason is… I feel like… I can tell you anything," Minato said, finally looking up into my face. I blushed a little redder when I realized how near his face was to mine. Whatever happened to my personal space? Staring into his dark blue eyes, I could easily see what I thought was anger. It wasn't anger- it was fear. And some other emotion was flashing through his eyes, but I couldn't comprehend it.

I don't know how long we stayed in that position. I understand his need to get this tension out of his system, but I still don't get why he feels the need to hold me like this.

"Yukari-chan, I won't be leaving until a little later… want to go hang out with me for awhile?" Minato offered, resting his head a little deeper into my shoulder. I glanced at his digital clock, which was positioned on his desk. It was 2:40 in the afternoon. "You have to be at the Station at six," I told him. "What will we do for the next three hours and twenty minutes?" "I don't know," he admitted. "Let's just go... please?"

"If it makes you happy," I told him. I meant it. He cracked a tiny smile.

Minato and I left the dorm together, ignoring Junpei's dumb teasing and wise-cracks.


	31. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY! THIS CHAPTER IS FOR YOU GUYS! Yukari "dies" yet again in this chapter….**

**Be shocked by a very angst Minato Arisato.**

--

**THIRTY: YUKARI'S VISION**

At the train station last night, when I Junpei and I saw Minato go off with his doctor, I grabbed Minato's hand. I had no idea why. I just had this strange, horrible feeling deep in my guts. It refused to be ignored.

I felt that I'd never see Minato Arisato ever again.

When I held his hand, he turned to look at me, thinking that I had something to say. But then he saw my facial expression. "What are you so afraid of?" He had asked me in a whisper. "I don't know," I had admitted. I didn't even _know_ I was afraid until he said so.

He stared at me for a few seconds, then gave me a quick hug. Caught off balance, I couldn't react. But I hugged him back, anyway. I had this urge to drag him back to the dorm and never let him out of my sight.

But then the train arrived, and Minato had to let go. He got on the train with the doctor, who grinned at me, probably thinking that I was some paranoid girlfriend. He waved goodbye at me and Junpei from a window, smiling.

I hoped with all my heart that it wouldn't be the last time he truly smiled.

--

I didn't know how we got to Tartarus. We were just there. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Fuuka, Junpei, and me.

And Minato.

But he wasn't _really_ with us.

We were a group, and he just stood all by himself. Glaring at us with pure hate in his eyes.

_Yukari… wake up…._

I watched in silent horror as he took us out. One by one. Soon I was the only one left.

_Yukari!_

Minato stepped towards me, gripping his Evoker tightly in his hand. His blood-drenched Evoker. Blood from my fallen friends. I gripped my Gold Evoker tightly. Doing that, I suddenly remembered Masuhiro. I remembered the night we talked here in Tartarus. When I asked him what had happened ten years ago, he looked so sad….

…_Yukari! Wake up!_

Could it be that Masuhiro had some kind of connection to what happened ten years ago? Masuhiro… when I learned that he was the "ghost" of Iwatodai, I felt sorry for him. He had lost his sister ten years ago. But was that the real reason why he's still around?

_Yukari…_

"Yukari." I looked up into Minato's burning eyes. Burning with anger and hatred. "This is where it ends." Minato brandished his sword. He pointed it at my heart. "Well?" He demanded. "Any last words?"

_Yukari… it's time to wake up…._

"I have always loved you as a brother," I said without hesitation. "You took me and Hana into your home… helped me with all of my financial problems… and never once batted an eye when your old friends ridiculed me, Hana, or yourself. I just wished that we could've ended this nightmare… but I guess that's a job for the next generation of protégés. That's all I wanted."

_Yukari… open your eyes…._

"But something changed," I continued. "Both of us… have lost something very precious. I was able to pull through. But you remained in darkness. Why?" I stared at him pleadingly. "Why, Minato-kun? We're best friends!"

Minato's eyes suddenly changed. The anger was replaced with terrible loss. "We _were_ best friends," he corrected sadly. "I'm still the same me. But you… you've gotten stronger, smarter… you take on every challenge with incredible ease. You've changed." "You've changed, too!" I cried shrilly. Minato's face twisted into an ugly sneer.

"That's right. You and everyone else were all _eager_ to believe I was dead, weren't you? But I couldn't afford to be dead. The only people in this vast, desolate world who loved me were my parents, but they're gone! I'm all alone, now!"

"What… what're you _talking about_?" I demanded in a horrified, confused whisper.

"I was always alone!" Minato screamed, the anger returning to his eyes. "Nobody cared if something had happened to me or not. All my so-called friends care about are their golf scores and their martinis. I tried to make my girlfriend care about me, but she's just a silly slut. I thought you were my friend. I thought you knew me. I thought I could trust you…."

Minato pressed the tip of his sword against my chest. "But instead, you believed what you wanted to believe. You never asked me why I was acting like that. You didn't think that I had a reason. You judged me, condemned me, and blamed me… without giving me a chance to explain myself…." His gaze went cold with unblinking fury. "I thought you were different. But you're just like the others!"

"Minato-kun…" I said softly, tears spilling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry… and I forgive."

Minato gritted his teeth. "YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE!" he screamed.

I choked as the cold blade thrust deep into my chest.

Blood- my blood- splattered all over the floor. My legs wobbled and gave out underneath me. I slid to the floor, clutching my stabbed chest. I actually felt my heart stop beating. The pain was unbearable. Partly because of the sharp blade. And partly because it was my best friend who betrayed me, who stabbed me.

_Yukari!_


	32. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

_--_

**THIRTY ONE: THE DATE**

_Yukari… it's all right…_

_What you see now is only a dream._

_I'm truly sorry for forcing this terrible vision on you, but I don't know any other way to tell you the truth. If I had just told you straight out, would you still believe in me?_

_Would you fear me?_

_Would you always see me as your friend, your guardian? Would the beauty you see in me last forever?_

_I don't know what to think._

_But you do._

_You've always known this would happen sooner or later. And I'm glad. Because you are now aware of half of the truth. Masuhiro is now responsible for showing you the other half._

_When you wake up, you'll remember everything. You'll figure out the truth of what happened a decade ago. At least part of it. And when you do, you'll want to go to the Velvet Room and demand Igor for an explanation. I know it. I can feel it. Igor will understand. He'll finally reveal to you the reasons._

_Who you are._

_Who sent you._

_Your mission._

_Your destiny._

_He'll open the Third Door for you._

_And then you'll finally understand who I truly am._

--

I bolted upright in my bed, my face and neck covered in perspiration. Almost automatically, I raised a hand to the part Minato had stabbed me. There wasn't any wound to speak of. Or blood. I looked around- I was in my room, safe and sound. Not in Tartarus, fighting for my life.

_Fighting my best friend_.

I suddenly shivered when the thought emerged. True, I now realized that it was all a dream, but it was too real to be just a dream. I recounted everything that happened.

Minato was really angry in the dream. I still remembered the way he glared at me, at everyone else. Suddenly, I had thought of Masuhiro, and the time first I talked to him in Tartarus. And how depressed he looked then. And I wondered if he had some connection with the events of ten years ago. I remembered thinking that maybe his sister wasn't the real reason why he was haunting Iwatodai.

When Minato and I talked, I mentioned having a sister….

I definitely know that I don't have a sister. A brother, maybe, but he isn't here. But Masuhiro does. My breathing suddenly became choppy with excitement as I made the connection. _Masuhiro has a sister_.

Masuhiro told me that The Fool betrayed his best friend for his own purposes. Isn't that exactly what Minato did to me?

And Masuhiro was so sad when he mentioned the story to me. Could it be… that the "betrayed friend" he was talking about was actually himself? And "the Fool", his best friend, betrayed him? It wasn't a mistake to think that my dream wasn't a vision of the past.

That instantly released the built-up tension I didn't even realize was in me. I was admittedly apprehensive of the fact that it was Minato who killed me in the dream. At first, I had thought that it was a dream of the possible future.

Now I understood. In the dream, Minato was only_ representing_ the Fool. I represented Masuhiro. It was actually convenient that way, since Minato and I were the protégés of the former Chosen Ones….

A sudden pain pierced my heart. I thought of how sad Masuhiro was about the past. If it was really him, then he must be in terrible pain about the whole episode.

I looked at the digital clock on my desk- 1:08 in the morning. I had to get back to sleep. Class would start in six hours. I flopped back down and tried to get some sleep. But my mind was racing with different possibilities, refusing to be shut down.

If Masuhiro was one of those chosen multiple Persona-users of the past, then who was The Fool?

My breath caught in my throat again when a name popped up.

Kai!

--

The famed "Wild Duck Burger" joint at the Iwatodai Strip Mall definitely lived up to expectations.

Here's the rundown: You can actually smell the juicy burgers and salty fries a mile away. Inside, if you're waiting in line to order and it's taking too long, one of the workers will hop out from behind the counter with a notebook and pencil in hand, run to you and take your order so by the time you get to the counter you just need to pick up your food. And finally, if you take a quick look around the restaurant, you'll notice how sleek and professional the place truly feels, disregarding the fact that there's a smiling cartoon duck mascot dancing here and there.

And what was I doing here after school?

I had to keep the date with Akihiko, that's what. (A/N: Reread earlier chapters if you don't remember how this happened.)

The double-fisted burger was heavenly and oh-so good. After taking a few nibbles, I tossed my manners to the wind and shoved it down my throat in record time.

"You're a total hypocrite, sempai, you know?" I told Akihiko, dipping a french fry in a glob of ketchup and popping it in my mouth. "Lately you've been pestering me about my health and my choice of food, but you're just another regular nutritional saboteur." I waved my hand at the amount of damage he'd done to the burger and fries.

"Well, now that you've seen me in the ring, and we've gone out together, why don't you just call me Akihiko and drop the honorific?" He suggested, wadding up his wrapper into a tight ball.

"How did you know-" I stopped short, realizing I had stepped right into his trap. "Ok, ok- you got me. I watched them." "Them?" Akihiko repeated. "You watched both?" "Yup. And as hard it is for me to say so, you looked really cool and strong and smooth when you punched out that ugly thug of an opponent," I said, admitting defeat.

I noticed him wince a bit when I said "strong". But he smiled. "Thanks."

I nodded at him. "You deserve it."

Akihiko shook his head. "No, I don't."

"Why not?"

My question made him fidgety. But I propped my elbows up on the table and leaned forward as if preparing for serious conversation, waiting for him to answer. He finally said after a long lapse of silence, "I just learned once before that I shouldn't take my strength to heart. Before, I thought I could protect anyone. But I… I learned the hard way that I was wrong. I went down for the count, but managed to wobble to my feet."

"You're still wobbling?"

"I'm not really sure anymore. I don't trust myself to get back into the ring."

He didn't elaborate, and I didn't expect him to, anyway. It was obvious he wasn't ready to share anything personal - yet. Right now, he was watching my face closely to gauge my initial reaction and see if his confession colored my opinion of him. I forced my face to go blank. I had the vaguest notion that whatever happened had something to do with his sister. Probably.

"'Get back into the ring,'" I repeated, changing the tone of the conversation. "I think I like talking to a boxer. The dialogue is filled with analogies, metaphors and personifications related to boxing."

"Ok, now I told you my story. Now tell me yours," Akihiko suggested, suddenly concentrating all his undivided attention on me..

I stared back, still blank-faced. "What story?"

"You've been distracted lately - not that you're not doing a terrific job or anything," he added hastily, " – you haven't let whatever's bothering you affect your school work or our nightly explorations of The Tower of Demise. But you also… um, I was just wondering if there was something on your mind. Something besides school and work. You don't even go to sleep on time anymore."

I did a double take. "How do you know what time I go to bed?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It was a guess. Your social life isn't what I'd call deserted, but you'd have plenty of time to go to bed. You're usually the first one in the dorm asleep."

If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd been keeping track of me. It was an interesting thought, but also one that I did no justice. I shifted uneasily in my seat, partly because his stare had begun to get unnerving, and partly because he could read me so well. I averted my gaze away from the piercing grey eyes that seemed to miss nothing and fiddled with the small plastic bag that held the remains of my meal, absently wondering if he'd been watching me closely all this time.

It would do my ego wonders if I considered the idea that he was interested in me. But I knew better. Who'd be interested in _me _of all people?

Lying to anyone connected to SEES was out of the question. Up till now, I've stuck to half-truths. But this was only the first time I've ever gone out with him, after all. How much should I tell him exactly?

"You're right, sempai… er, I mean, Akihiko. I have been feeling a little off-balance lately," I finally confirmed, looking back up. "I don't really feel like talking about it as much as you want to avoid discussing your own private matters – I think I deserve a little respect, too."

"It's ok," he said. "You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. But if you ever need to get something off your chest, call me, alright?" Impulsively, he reached across the table and touched my hand with his.


	33. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3.

**THIRTY TWO: OVER THE PHONE **

"When did _you _get such a soft heart?" I teased him, suppressing an excited shiver. Akihiko's touch was sudden; his hand was warm. It sent electric currents up my arm.

It was true, though. To begin with, we were complete strangers. Suddenly, Akihiko makes a move and starts talking to me – teasing me and annoying me, to be exact. Then suddenly he becomes my friend and invites me out to dinner.

Akihiko didn't seem the caring type. By nature he was very serious. He was also tough. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself and what he believed in. And he was obviously capable of inflicting merciless pain on anyone and anything that dared to rub him the wrong way.

But he understood the pain, too. Otherwise, how could he extend comfort and sympathy without knowing the extent of damage? I clearly remembered how optioned and bossy he could get. And, given the chance, he still could. But the truth is, he's been acting completely different. Ever since that one morning we happened to eat breakfast at the dorm together, he's been… what was the right word? Brotherly?

Akihiko and I talked for a whole hour at our booth, his hand still in contact with mine. We talked about lots of things, inconsequential things about school, Tartarus and life in general. I was amazed how much in common I had with him. I briefly wondered why the "real" Yukari never tried socializing with him. She probably thought Akihiko was too different from her – that he wasn't interested in the same things she was.

A little after eight, Akihiko pulled his hand away from mine slowly, regretfully. "I think it's about time we head back to the dorm," he said, looking at his watch.

"Mmm." I nodded my head and followed him out of the burger joint.

--

Later that night, I picked up my handset and punched in Minato's number. While it rang, I made myself comfortable on my bed, bringing out my pillow and hugging it to my chest. Minato answered after the phone after the seventh ring.

"Hello?" He sounded a little tired.

"Hey, Minato-kun, it's me," I said brightly.

"Oh, hi."

"Hi."

"What took you so long to pick up the phone?" I queried. I heard him shift the phone. "I was deveining some shrimp for my mother's bento box," he explained. "Ew!" I gagged on my cell. I imagined Minato rolling his eyes. "Thanks a lot," he said dryly. "What about you? Any news for me?"

"Mitsuru-sempai is making me temporary leader. Effective beginning tonight," I moaned. Minato chuckled. "You'll do fine," he consoled. "I mean, look- now Akihiko-sempai's back in shape, Junpei's stomach wound is completely healed by now, and now that Fuuka's here, Mitsuru-sempai can tag along, too. You don't need to worry about a single thing. And didn't Junpei's Persona learn some new moves?"

I groaned again. "That's what I'm afraid of." At the mention of Junpei's name, I grinned mischievously. "By the way, about Junpei…."

"Yeah?"

"Guess what? He's got a suitor!" I announced dramatically. On the other line, I heard Minato gasp loudly in disbelief. "WHAT?!" He exclaimed. "No way!!" "_Yes_ way," I assured him, dead serious. "I can't believe it," Minato choked through his laughter. "Who is it?" "Remember Ken Amada? The boy we bumped into on our way back from school? And Maiko?" I asked him, trying to get him to remember.

"Wait just a _damn minute_," Minato said slowly. "Are you saying that Maiko has the hots for Junpei? As in, Maiko, the elementary schooler?" "YES!!" I exclaimed, euphoric.

Minato and I burst into laughter.

"That's one point for Stupei, Ace Defective!" Minato cracked.

When the mirth finally died down, Minato said, "Any other news?" as casually as he could. His indifference didn't fool me, though. He was ravenously hungry for all the gossip I could share with him. It was only about a day and a half, but anyone could tell Minato already missed Port Island.

"Guess what? I had a dream about you slaughtering us," I revealed.

"…You don't really believe I'd do such a thing, do you?" Minato asked, obviously skeptical.

"Of course I don't," I assured him. But when I said those words, a chill went up my spine. _What's wrong with me? He wouldn't lay a finger on any of us_, I told myself. I shrugged away my disturbing thoughts and told him what I had calculated so far.

"Huh, let's see if I got this straight," Minato grunted when I finished. "You think Masuhiro Furushiki and this 'Kai' guy you told me about were our predecessors, and Kai, uh, betrayed Masuhiro ten years ago, somehow resulting in the Kirijo explosion incident.

Masuhiro is actually the 'ghost' of Iwatodai, who's supposedly searching for his dead sister, but is actually hanging around because he was our chosen 'guide'. When Masuhiro died, he somehow ended up in the Velvet Room, is being called Judgment, and Kai was banished to the Elysian Fields as punishment for his betrayal… right?"

"Right," I confirmed. "At least, I think so."

"Then why not pay Igor a little visit? He can tell you the whole story," Minato suggested. "That's exactly what I'm going to do. In fact, I'm planning on dropping by the Velvet Room tomorrow, after school," I told him.

I cleared my throat and said as casually as I could, "So, Minato-kun… how's your mother doing?"

Minato was silent for awhile. I smacked my forehead. Why did I have to ask such a question? He was in a perfectly good mood, too, before I –

"The doctor said she doesn't have much time left," Minato said softly, ominously. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle the gasp. "They're gonna continue treating her, but… there really isn't anything they can do," Minato continued, his voice low. I opened my mouth to say something comforting, but the words seemed to die on my tongue. I closed my mouth. What words could possibly change his current predicament?

"I… Yukari, I'm praying to God for some kind of miracle to happen," Minato said, the tone of his voice suddenly becoming desperate. "I'm praying that my mom won't… that the Almighty won't take her just yet. Maybe… just a little while longer…."

_Minato can't even say the word "die"_, I realized sadly. I felt helpless. The real Yukari always fought with her mom whenever she had the chance. But Minato was different. He _loved_ his mom. And wasn't afraid to show it.

Suddenly, Minato was very angry. "If it wasn't for _me_, my mother wouldn't be suffering like this," he insisted, as if I had said something contradicting. "If I hadn't gone off and left her, she would have-!" "_What_ would have happened?" I interrupted softly before he could go any further. Minato had somehow put the blame on himself. This wasn't good. "You did _nothing _wrong," I told him with more conviction than I felt. I hope it sounded convincing enough.

But I wasn't. Minato's voice rose in anger again. "I just know that it would have turned out differently," he said shrilly.

There was a long stretch of silence, except for Minato's ragged intake of breaths on the other end of the line, as if had just finished running a race.

"Minato-kun," I tried again, more gently this time, "You're already 17 years old. Think about this from a more rational point of view. People like us don't come with lifetime warranties, I'm afraid – we come and go. We're just human, after all."

"But-"

"Did any of the doctors blame you for this?" I continued, cutting him off. "Did your mother ever call you up and say, 'how could you do this to me? I was in perfectly good health until you decided to hightail it and look for your father instead of taking care of me.'"

"Don't be silly," Minato put in. "My mother called to say –" He stopped his train of speech with a tiny cry, as if the very words were wounding him. "What? What did she say to you, Minato-kun?" I urged. Minato took a deep breath, and in a shaky voice, he admitted:

"She called to… to thank me for everything I've done for her, and for all the love I gave her."

Minato sounded like he wanted to cry. "…because all that time she spent with you, raising you, were the most rewarding years of her life," I guessed after a few seconds.

"Yeah… yeah, that's what she said."

Another interval of silence.

"Yukari?"

"Hm?"

Thank you for calling me up tonight," he said. "Frankly, I've been dying to get this all off my chest… someone to _talk _to me, and listen to me…. You're a real saint about all this, you know that? Lately, the only thing I ever do is bellyache to you about al my problems, and you never did once complain. You… are always there for me."

I heard the smile in his voice. A similar smile grace my lips.

"So… when are you coming back?"

"There's a lot to take care of here in Yokohama. Maybe I'll be back after a week."

"But… the moon will be full the day after tomorrow," I said.

"Well, then – I guess you'll just have to manage without me." Minato had sobered up and was back to his usual, joking self. Though not as much. But I was relieved he was sounding a little ok.

"Then… see you next week, then," I said.

My sappy grin lasted long after I had hung up.


End file.
